A moment in time
by Sairs J
Summary: Regrets. She was full of those, but wasting time was her biggest regret. She should be an expert, realising that time should never be wasted; you never knew when the sand in the timer would run out. And in that moment in time your life could change forever.
1. Prologue

This story is set in the future, a few years after the end of season four.

I do not own the characters from Flashpoint.

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_A moment in time _

_Prologue_

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She watched as a lone rain drop began its slow descent down the window pane, trailing a unique pattern, collecting isolated raindrops as it passed, growing into a rivulet that danced downward. The lights from the city glinted and shone through the rain spattered window, distorting the city beyond. Blurring reality.

That's what she needed, to blur reality, because her reality in that moment was almost too painful to bear.

She glanced from her post by the window to check on the prone form laid out on the bed, she hoped to see some movement, some sign that he had awakened. But there was nothing, except the steady regular rise and fall of his chest.

Standing, sitting and waiting had become her reality since it had happened. If she could have the power to turn back time, she thought she might have changed the decision she'd made after she had been shot, when she'd put her job before them. Maybe if she had put them before her job, then, this might not have happened.

Regrets. She was full of those, but wasting time was her biggest regret. She should be an expert, realising that time should never be wasted; you never knew when the sand in the timer would run out. She had witnessed life extinguished in a second because of a choice someone made.

Slowly she walked over to the chair that had become home as she watched and waited for any change. She'd resigned herself to the fact that no news was good news. But she didn't know how long she could just sit there and wait.

She carefully reached forward, gently clasping his hand in hers; her thumb absently began to rub small circles on the back of it. She hoped that her touch would wake him. Just as she'd hoped every single time she'd grasped his hand since it had happened.

"Wake up," she begged quietly. "Please wake up."

Suddenly, the soothing repetitive beep that measured his heart rate became erratic. As she realised what was happening, panic began to swim through her as she rose to her feet, forcing her palm onto the alarm button above his head.

"No," she pleaded, as people hurried into the room.

This can't be happening, she thought as her fingers lost contact with his as she was forcefully ushered from his room into the stark white corridor of the hospital.

Instinctively she wrapped her arms around herself, desperately trying to regain control of her emotions. She couldn't break; he needed her, just as she needed him.

After what felt like an eternity the door to his room opened and his doctor emerged from the darkness. She couldn't determine the look that crossed his face. He stepped towards her, "Please take a seat," he requested.

She sank down into the chair, her heart pounding in her chest. She didn't think she'd ever been as terrified as she was in that moment.

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	2. Chapter 1 It changes in a second

_I'd like to thank everyone who took the time to review, favourite or follow my story, I appreciate it._

_I do not own any of the characters in Flashpoint._

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_A moment in time_

_Chapter One ~ It changes in a second._

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Three weeks earlier

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The Boss had informed them that they would spend their shift on patrol, as there were no warrants to be issued, unless a hot call came in. Patrolling wasn't Team One's favourite way of passing their shift, but it got them out of the building, witnessing city life in a different way, without hurrying to a destination where lives hung in the balance.

Jules drove her SUV, Spike sitting beside her in the passenger seat playing with some sort of new device he'd managed to buy with their budget. She was happily driving around their zone while he played; she couldn't help but smile at the excited sounds he elicited as he managed to get the device to work.

The peace of their patrol was broken by Winnie's voice over the radio requesting them to attend a hot call, a report of gunshots fired at a residence. Instantly the atmosphere changed within the vehicle, their focus shifting.

The airwaves on the radio suddenly became charged as the Boss started issuing orders. Their chatter focusing on the essential information they needed to resolve the situation.

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Jules pulled up in the street a short distance away from the address of the reported incident. Sam and Ed's SUV was already in position. Shortly after Jules exited her vehicle the Boss and Raf arrived. After checking the information from the uniforms on site, Ed and Greg began to issue orders.

Jules headed to the command truck, she was tasked with finding out as much information that she could about the resident of the building. When she was inside she quickly took up her seat and opened the incident log; that would record every event until the incident was closed.

Winnie had sent a copy of the building's plans to Ed's phone and to the computer in the command truck, he'd ascertained that there were two points of entry; he sent Sam and Raf to the back of the converted warehouse. He and Spike were going to gain entry from the front. From the witness reports the uniforms had gathered from the neighbours the warehouse had been converted into four apartments. The gun shots had occurred in one of the second floor apartments belonging to Jessica Long.

Sam and Raf were going to use the fire escape to gain entry to the second floor. Since the nine one one calls had been made, a deathly silence had settled in the converted warehouse.

Jules listened as the two teams acknowledged they were in position. She fed Greg the information she'd found out about the owner. Nothing indicated that Jessica Long was involved with anything or anyone that could have a questionable background.

"Bravo team in position," Sam's voice echoed in her earpiece, "No sign of subject or movement."

"Alpha team in position," Ed spoke a few moments later.

Jules waited, she couldn't help the adrenalin that was flowing through her body, even though she was sat in the truck.

A noise from behind her startled her, instinctively her hand reached for her sidearm as she turned towards the sound. She relaxed as Greg stepped into the truck.

"Sorry," he stated as he noticed her stance, "Any more information on the tenant?"

Jules shook her head, "No. She's a model citizen. Records contain date and place of birth, driving licence and taxes filed."

Greg looked lost in thought.

"What's bothering you, Boss?" Jules asked.

Greg shook his head slowly, "Something just feels off."

"What do you want to do?" Jules asked wondering what was really bothering him.

A slow reluctant smile crossed his lips, "What we do every time, Jules, we keep the peace." He turned back to the monitor. "Teams ready to go in on my command."

"Copy that," Ed replied.

A few seconds later Sam's voice followed, "Copy that."

Greg took a breath before issuing the command, "Enter."

Both Jules and Greg listened and watched as the teams executed their entry.

Everything appeared to be going smoothly, until there was a deafening boom and the command truck rocked. Almost instantly Greg spoke, "Alpha team, status? Bravo team, status?"

Jules thought her heart had stopped beating. Time seemed to stand still as she waited for her team mates to check in. Her training kicked in; quickly she rose to her feet, requesting EMS to their location. Greg was following her as they left the command truck and hurried towards the warehouse. A thick cloud of dust billowed from the building.

"Ed?" Greg asked again, his voice laced with concern, "Raf? Sam? Spike?"

Jules' stomach churned; surely they would have answered by now if they were okay? She inhaled deeply as they hurried toward the warehouse, smoke billowing from the shattered windows of the building.

"Alpha team we're okay, Sarge," Ed's voice finally broke through the silence of their earpieces.

"Where are you in the building?" Greg asked.

"We're in the corridor outside the apartment, we'd just entered when there was an explosion at the rear of the apartment," Ed explained.

Jules' stomach sank; the explosion had been where Sam and Raf had entered.

"Can you get to the back of the apartment?" Greg asked Ed through his earpiece.

"Negative. The floor of the apartment has fallen into the lower level," Ed replied. "We're coming down."

Greg nodded even though he knew that Ed couldn't see him.

"I'm going to check around the back," Jules stated as she began to run towards the back of the building.

"Jules!" Greg called as he watched her for a few seconds before he found his feet following her, unsure of what they would find when they got to the rear of the building.

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Jules tried to calm her breathing as she reached what was left of the window at the top of the fire escape. The glass was shattered and the wooden frame splintered, hanging jaggedly into the space left by the missing glass.

Carefully she leaned through the window, her eyes searching through the remnants of the dust cloud and building. Jules' eyes recognised the outline of a uniformed body lying prone on the floor.

Quickly she began to pull herself through the window.

"Jules!" Greg called from behind her.

She glanced over her shoulder to see him ascending the fire escape. "I can see someone," she replied.

Greg's eyebrows rose, "You need to be careful."

"The floor at this end of the room looks intact. I'll stay near the edge. But we need to check… to make sure…" her voice cracked; she didn't want to vocalise what was running through her head.

Greg nodded, "Slowly…"

Jules turned back to the window and cautiously climbed through. She stood with her back against the outside wall of the building as she slowly edged towards the prone form. Her eyes checked the safety of floor before carefully placing her weight on it as she stepped towards her goal. She glanced across the room, the dust was clearing and the damage the room had sustained was becoming more evident. She could see an internal doorway in the opposite wall, it appeared to be floating above a chasm that a few minutes before held a floor.

Finally she reached the prone form; she quickly leaned forward, checking for signs of life with her eyes as she spoke, "Raf!" When there was no response she knelt carefully beside him. She thought she heard a mumbled response from him. "Raf, it's Jules, can you hear me?" Another mumble answered her question. "Are you hurt?"

She quickly carried out a body check, there didn't appear to be any obvious sign of broken bones. From his mumblings, Jules assumed he might have a concussion.

"Jules, status?" Greg requested from his vantage point at the window.

"He doesn't appear to have any broken bones. He's mumbling, but he's not coherent," She replied.

The sound of footsteps behind her caused her to turn. She smiled with relief when she saw Spike and Ed slowly making their way to her position. Within seconds they were next to her. Between them they carefully carried Raf to the window, where Greg was waiting with a body board. Placing the body board on the floor next to the window, they slowly lowered Raf onto it. Securing him into place they then attached the ropes they'd use to carefully lower him to the EMS paramedics who were waiting on the ground below.

As Ed and Spike lowered the ropes on Raf's board, Jules carefully worked her way through the debris searching for Sam. He still hadn't responded to the repeated requests for his status that Greg had been requesting every minute.

Certain that he wasn't under any of the remaining furniture or debris in the room; she cautiously edged towards the rim of the large hole in the floor. She lowered herself to the edge, ensuring her weight was evenly distributed.

Below her in what once was someone's home there was a mixture of furniture and rubble. She slowly moved her eyes across the floor below, studying the scene. Protruding from underneath a piece of splintered floorboard she noticed an arm, the familiar black uniform of SRU encasing it. Her stomach churned as she shouted, "Sam!"

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Raf had been transported to the hospital. Jules paced along the pavement outside the warehouse as she waited for EMS, Spike and Ed to bring Sam out. She had wanted to go in with her team, but Greg had stopped her. He had stopped her with a glare that she knew she couldn't disobey. To his credit he'd stayed with her as they watched, waited and prayed that Sam was okay.

As she paced she tried to be positive, Sam was tough; he'd survived Afghanistan. He'd survived growing up with the General and he'd survived close calls with the team. He was strong, he would fight. She swallowed at the bile that rose to the back of her throat, she couldn't lose him. She didn't know what she would do if he wasn't okay.

A call from inside the building stopped her pacing, she turned towards the source and saw movement in the doorway as the paramedics, Ed and Spike carried out a stretcher, with Sam strapped to it.

She was desperate to run towards the stretcher and check Sam over with her own eyes, but her feet remained rooted to the ground as she looked over at Greg, her eyes asking him to give her permission to go.

He answered her look with a nod.

She didn't wait for a verbal response; she raced across to the stretcher, her heart almost stopped as she looked at Sam. He was covered with a thin layer of grey dust, his black uniform littered with small pieces of rubble. She studied his features; he looked peaceful, like when he was asleep in bed, tucked under the warmth of the bed sheets. A trail of dried blood marred his forehead, a cut in his hairline its source.

She needed to touch him, to check that he hadn't left her. She grasped for his hand, gently taking it in hers. She couldn't feel the warmth of his skin as he still wore his black gloves.

"Sam," she leaned forward so that she was close to his face, she waited for a response, any response.

Her heart sank when there was nothing.

All too soon they were at the back of the ambulance. Swiftly he was loaded into it and she lost her grip on his hand. She glanced over her shoulder at Greg, who was standing just behind her.

"Go," he stated, "We'll be there as soon as we can."

Not waiting for him to change his mind, she jumped into the back of ambulance and sat in a chair at the side of the ambulance that the paramedic indicated for her to sit in. She was able to hold Sam's hand without impeding the work of the paramedic. She heard the doors to the ambulance slam shut and a few moments later the engine roared into life, the sirens wailing as they began the journey to hospital.

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	3. Chapter 2 Waiting

_I'm not sure when I'll get the opportunity to post as I return back to work tomorrow after my holiday. The next part is in the works, so hopefully it won't be too long. _

_Thanks again to everyone who has reviewed, favourited and is following my story._

_Sairs_

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_A moment in time_

_Chapter 2 - Waiting_

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The journey to the hospital seemed to take forever, her eyes didn't leave Sam for a moment, and she studied every part of him, hoping that he'd respond to the paramedic or to her. But nothing. Not a twitch or a shake, not even when the paramedic inserted an I.V. As she watched him, her mind wandered back to that morning, before they had left for work. They'd argued, argued over something that at that moment seemed unimportant. She berated herself for that argument, silently promising that when he woke she would apologise and try not to push his buttons over small things. She didn't want to waste their lives anymore arguing, life was precious.

When the ambulance pulled up at the hospital, she quickly moved out of the way as the waiting hospital staff were briefed on Sam's status, the doctors and nurses spoke hurriedly in a language that Jules didn't understand. She did notice, however, the concerned looks on their features as they wheeled Sam into the E.R. Jules followed but was stopped by a young nurse as they wheeled Sam into a room at the end of the corridor.

"You need to wait here," she advised. "Perhaps you can fill in the paperwork for your colleague at the desk?"

Jules didn't process the words the nurse had spoken to her; she was too busy focusing on the room where Sam had been taken.

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The nurse had led Jules to the desk where she had filled in the required paperwork; she had continually glanced at the room where they were working on Sam. Satisfied that the forms were complete she handed them back to the woman at the desk, whose nametag stated that she was called Lucy. Lucy smiled at Jules as she scanned over the paperwork.

"It says here that Constable Braddock's wife is his emergency contact. I'll contact her so she knows where he is," Lucy replied, not looking up from the form to meet Jules' eyes.

"There's no need," Jules replied quietly.

Lucy's head rose so that she could meet Jules' gaze, "But it's hospital policy for us to notify the emergency contact."

"She's already been notified."

Lucy smiled, "That's good. Is she on her way?"

"I'm already here," Jules replied.

Lucy's face clouded with confusion, as she studied the Police officer, her nametag said Callaghan, not Braddock.

Jules noted the nurse's confusion, "At work I'm Constable Callaghan, at home…" her voice cracked. She took a deep breath to pull herself together; she was not going to break down. Sam needed her. She met Lucy's gaze, reassured by the nurse's warm smile, "I'm Jules Braddock, Sam's wife."

Lucy stood; her voice warm as she spoke, "Well then Mrs. Braddock, I'll take you through to the waiting area and I'll find out what's happening with your husband."

Jules followed Lucy towards a small waiting area, "Can you find out what's happening with my other colleague who was brought in before Sam?"

Lucy nodded, "I'll bring the other officers through as soon as they arrive too."

Jules smiled, Lucy knew that there would be more officers joining her, waiting for news about their friends.

Jules lowered herself into a hard plastic chair. She loosened the collar on her shirt, so that she could reach her fingers to her neck, pulling out a small gold chain. Quickly she found the clasp and undid the chain, releasing it from her neck. Carefully she slid her engagement and wedding ring from the chain and placed them on her finger where they belonged. She refastened the chain back round her neck and slid it under her uniform top. Absently as she waited she played with the rings on her finger, thinking of the moment when Sam had proposed.

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The flames of the open fire licked and danced in the darkness, the warmth it emitted took the chill of the summer evening. Jules watched the movement of the flames, enjoying the stillness of the night in the secluded spot they'd chosen to set up camp.

They finally had three days off shift and Sam had surprised her with a trip to Algonquin Park. They'd spent the day hiking through the woods, enjoying the beautiful scenery and each other's company without the possibility of being called into work.

"What are you thinking about?" Sam asked as he sat beside her on the felled tree trunk that had been positioned beside the fire pit.

She turned to look at him, his face glowing in the firelight. She couldn't believe how lucky she'd been, finding someone who loved her enough to put up with her determination and temper. But even though she'd initially thought Sam was cocky, she'd had the pleasure to discover there was so much more to Sam Braddock than she'd thought possible. He was her best friend and he probably knew her better than anyone else on the planet. He instinctively knew what she needed. When she'd had a bad shift, he didn't push; he waited, knowing when she needed the warmth of his embrace, or when she needed to push through her frustrations with physical activity.

He was the one person in the world she felt comfortable to be Jules with, not the tough exterior that she spent most of her working life portraying. She let him see her vulnerabilities, her worries and concerns and knew that he would never judge her, but support and love her. Just as she loved and supported him.

She smiled as he gently reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, "I was just thinking how lucky I am," she said, leaning into his touch.

Sam grinned, "Well you do have a pretty Samtastic boyfriend!"

She nudged him with her elbow, "That's a matter of opinion!"

He pouted, before quickly moving his arms, encircling her waist and pulling her towards him, as she slid into his lap, he lowered his head and gently captured her lips with his own. As he kissed her, he felt her relax in his lap, her fingertips running gentle patterns on his scalp.

When their kiss ended he rested his forehead against hers, so that he could look into her eyes. She smiled the smile that made his heart soar, "I think I'm the lucky one," he admitted quietly.

She chuckled as she shifted slightly in his arms so that she could rest her head against his chest, his arms instinctively moving around her, pulling her closer to him. She felt his chin rest gently on the top of her head. "Do you think they'll miss us if we don't return to work on Monday?" She asked quietly, "Because I could spend the rest of my life here with you."

Sam placed a gentle kiss on her head before replying, "Well that's what I was hoping…"

She processed his words, not sure what he was hinting at, shifting again, she turned so that she could see his eyes, her eyebrows raised questioningly.

Gently he lifted her off his lap, setting her beside him on the log. He stood and began to pace in front of the fire, he looked nervous. When he paused at the edge of the fire he shifted on his feet, before turning to look at her.

"What?" her voice was laced with a touch of concern, Sam was usually so self assured, he rarely was nervous. She made a movement to stand, but stayed rooted to the spot when he shook his head.

"Jules, remember that hypothetical honeymoon we talked about?"

She nodded, "No daiquiris on the beach. Extreme hiking, remote trails, no outhouses. The one that you weren't sure you would want to take with me?" her voice quivered, reflecting the nervousness she suddenly felt. She wasn't sure where Sam was heading with his conversation, but she was hoping that there might be the possibility of more than a hypothetical honeymoon in their future.

She thought her heart was going to stop when suddenly Sam stepped forward and dropped to his knees in front of her. She clasped her hands together in her lap, her eyes staring at him intently, her breath catching as she waited and hoped.

He reached into his pocket and carefully pulled out a small velvet box; slowly he opened it and offered it towards her so that she could see its contents. Inside nestled a stunning ring, a small beautifully cut diamond glistened in the firelight. She looked from the ring to Sam's face, his eyes glinting with more than just the light from the fire.

He inhaled deeply before speaking "Jules, I know we haven't always had the easiest relationship. Let's face it I nearly screwed everything up the first time we met. I might have ended up the wrong end of your Remy, but in that moment, I realised that I wanted to get to know you. That's one of the things I've enjoyed most is getting to know you. To really know you. I admit I wanted your declaration of love to have happened at a happier moment, but letting you go and be happy then made me realise just how much I loved you," a small smile crossed his face as he spoke. "But the feelings wouldn't go away and finally you let me have a second chance and even though we had to sneak around, again, we finally got to be together in public. This past year has been…" he grinned, "One hell of a roller coaster ride but I wouldn't change a second of it. I'm hoping that I get to continue that roller coaster ride with you until we're old and grey."

She shook her head, only Sam could compare their relationship to a roller coaster, but he was close to the truth with his description. They had their ups and downs, but they always got there in the end.

"Jules, I love you," his eyes met hers, "Marry me and join me on our honeymoon?"

She leaned forward, so that the distance between them was barely more than a few inches, she felt her eyes well up with tears as she prepared to give her answer, her voice cracked with emotion, nodding her assent as spoke, "Yes."

Sam's face lit up with the biggest smile she'd ever seen, the joy and love she saw illuminated in his features, caused the tears that had been welling up in her eyes escape and slide slowly down her face. "I love you, Sam," she replied a smile mirroring his on her lips.

She watched as he lifted the ring from its box, dropping the box to the floor so that he could take her hand and slide the ring onto her finger. "It's beautiful," she assured him as she admired it. She lifted her eyes from the ring and found herself looking into his eyes; he gently reached up with his fingertips cupping her face, slowly closing the distance between them so that he could capture her lips with his in a kiss that sealed the promise of a future together.

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"Jules?" Greg asked as he approached her in the hospital waiting room, Ed and Spike behind him. The concern he felt for her rising when she failed to respond to his voice. Slowly he lowered himself into the chair next to her, he noticed that she'd put her engagement and wedding rings on and was absently twisting them. Slowly he reached out and placed his hand gently on her shoulder, "Jules," he repeated, his voice calm.

Slowly she responded, turning her face so that her eyes met his. He noticed they were full of unshed tears, he recognised that she was barely keeping everything together. He couldn't imagine how hard it had been for her to maintain her composure at the scene when she realised that Sam hadn't responded. She'd done what he had expected her to do, what the Chief expected her to do and he imagined it probably was the hardest thing anyone could do. He'd struggled to keep his composure when he realised that he could have lost most of his team, his family in that explosion. He'd felt relief when Ed and Spike had finally reported their status, but his concern had intensified for Raf and Sam when they hadn't responded. He'd followed Jules to the back of the building and when he'd leaned through the window and witnessed the devastation the explosion had caused on the apartment, he'd begun to think that they'd be lucky if all of their team made it out in one piece.

But Jules' determination had found both Raf and Sam.

Greg's heart had almost broken for Jules when he'd watched her look at him for permission to go to Sam when Spike and Ed had carried him out of the building. She had still been clinging on to the chain of command and her role, even though she'd been desperate to check on her husband. When he'd nodded his ascent, he watched her fly across the distance and gently grasped Sam's hand. The look of pain on her face when he hadn't responded to her touch or her voice had been hard to watch.

Now, sitting alone in the waiting room she looked broken and lost, words he would never use to describe Jules. But then, Sam had never been in a situation like this one before and watching and waiting for news about someone you loved was the hardest thing to do. Especially when there was nothing you could do but hope and wait.

"Any news?" he asked quietly, gently rubbing her back with his hand, hoping that the movement would offer her some comfort, but he understood that the only comfort she really needed was knowing that Sam was going to be okay.

She shook her head, "They rushed him into that room when he got here. I filled in the forms, the nurse on the desk wanted to contact his wife, I had to explain…" She paused as if collecting her emotions, "She's going to come back with news about Raf and Sam."

Greg could imagine the conversation with the nurse, Jules' uniform clearly stating Callaghan, but Jules assuring the nurse that she was indeed Sam's wife. At least the nurse had understood. He glanced at Ed, whose face mirrored his own concern. Understanding the silent request, he nodded and turned, heading towards the desk in an attempt to find out information.

"We argued this morning," Jules stated quietly to the room.

"Everyone argues, Jules," Greg assured her.

She glanced at him a look of pain in her eyes, "What if the last real conversation I have with Sam was the argument we had this morning?"

Greg slid his arm around her shoulder, "Jules, Sam is a fighter, he's not going to leave you; he's too stubborn."

A tiny smile crossed her lips, "I hope so, because I don't know what I'll do if he doesn't make it."

Greg was at a loss, usually Jules didn't let anyone see her fears, but Sam's accident had rocked her to the core. "He'll make it and you will too, we won't let you fall," he promised pulling her into a hug.

He glanced up as Ed returned a sombre look on his face, "Ed?"

"Raf's been moved up to a ward, he's got concussion and he's going to have one hell of a headache for the next few days. But other than that just a few scrapes and bruises," Ed explained.

Greg nodded, "Sam?"

"The nurse said they're still checking him out, someone will be with us as soon as possible."

"Thanks, Ed," he glanced down at Jules, who was still in his arms. He was trying his best to ignore the small wet patch he could feel forming on his shirt, the tears that she had obviously been holding back were beginning to flow as the adrenalin from the situation was beginning to fade.

He didn't know how long he sat there holding her, but time seemed to become irrelevant as they waited for news. Finally the doors to the room where Sam had been taken opened and Jules pulled away from him, wiping her eyes furiously with her sleeves, she stood up, her back straightening and she prepared herself for the conversation she was about to have.

"Mrs. Braddock?" A man in scrubs asked as he walked towards them.

Jules stepped forward, nodding.

"We're taking Constable Braddock up to surgery, he's sustained a broken leg that needs resetting, but he's also damaged his spleen, so we're going to have to stop the bleeding." He paused, watching as Jules nodded with understanding. "Constable Braddock has not regained consciousness yet, which indicates he also sustained a head injury. Once we've stabilised the internal bleeding, we'll be sending him for an MRI to check for any swelling on his brain. The next few hours are going to be critical. We won't be able to make any assurances until we have all of his test results back."

The doctor glanced at Greg, who had stepped up behind Jules, placing a supportive hand on her shoulder. "We'll be moving Constable Braddock to the ICU when he's recovered from surgery."

"How long will the surgery take?" Greg asked.

"It will be at least three or four hours before Constable Braddock is moved to ICU. If you want to move up to the waiting room near the operating theatres, I'll make sure you're kept up to date with his progress."

"Thank you, Doctor," Jules stated, her voice quavering slightly with emotion.

The Doctor nodded and turned back to the room where Sam had been taken.

Jules stood in the middle of the waiting room trying to process what the Doctor had said. She closed her eyes and said a silent prayer, begging anyone who was listening that she needed Sam to survive this. He helped save lives every day, surely he deserved being saved, to live his life with her.

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	4. Chapter 3: Memories and fears

_Thanks again to all of the reviews, favourites and follows, I do appreciate it. _

_I'm not sure when the next part will be ready, but it's in the works._

_Have a great day wherever you are._

_Sairs_

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She sat in another waiting room, perched uncomfortably on a plastic chair, her hands clasped in her lap as she watched and waited.

When she had arrived in the waiting room, she'd glanced around looking briefly at the other people who were waiting for news about a loved one. A few of them had glanced up when they had arrived, their demeanour changing at the sight of four uniformed police officers entering the room. They appeared to straighten in their seats, an uncomfortable uneasiness descending on the room as they thought about the reasons why police officers would be entering the waiting room.

Inhaling deeply she'd lowered herself into another chair, for an indeterminable amount of time, where she couldn't do anything but wait. She hated being still; Sam teased her that she even fidgeted when she was asleep.

She couldn't really focus on anything; her thoughts were with Sam, praying that he'd make it. A hand gently grasping her shoulder brought her out of her reverie. She looked up to find Spike holding a cup and a packaged sandwich. She shook her head as her stomach rebelled at the thought of food.

"Jules, you've got to eat something," Greg stated, taking the sandwich and coffee from Spike and placing them in her hands. "Sam would want you to look after yourself, so you can be ready to bend his ear about being more careful at work."

She recognised he was trying to lighten her mood and he was right, she needed to keep her strength up because she didn't know how long she would be waiting. She slowly nodded, opening the sandwich and taking a bite.

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"Mrs. Braddock," The Doctor from the ER spoke as he entered the O.R. waiting room.

Jules stood up and walked towards him, "How's Sam?"

The doctor led her back to her seat and sat down on the small coffee table directly in front of her, so that he could meet her eyes. "We've managed to set Sam's leg and successfully repaired the damage to his spleen. The results of his MRI are back as well."

Jules wrung her hands nervously as she listened to the doctor, "And?"

"His brain has some swelling and we're optimistic that it will reduce."

"If it doesn't?"

"Then we might have to release the pressure with surgery."

Jules nodded, "Is he awake?"

The doctor shook his head, "Because of his injury, the way the brain copes with the situation is to shut itself down, just focusing on essential processes. He's in a coma."

Jules' stomach flipped as she tried to process the doctor's words, "Will he wake up?"

"Again, we're optimistic, Mrs. Braddock. But with head injuries there are no guarantees. We will keep an eye on the swelling in his brain and hopefully when it reduces, he will regain consciousness. But I cannot give a time scale; it could be hours, days, weeks or months."

Or never, Jules thought, the words the doctor was reluctant to say. "Can I sit with him?"

A small smile played on the doctor's lips, "Yes. One of the nurses will come and get you and take you up to his room in the ICU. He'll be there for the next few days at least. Talk to him, Mrs. Braddock, hearing voices of loved ones has helped other patients regain consciousness."

Jules nodded, "Thank you," she replied as the doctor stood. She leaned back in her chair processing the doctor's words. She looked at her friends, who were processing the doctor's words too. She smiled, "Guess we're gonna have to remind him of all of the silly situations he's gotten himself into."

Her friends returned her smile, "We've all got plenty of stories to tell him," Spike replied.

Greg stood, "I'm going to head back to the barn and get things sorted. Would you like me to bring your things from your locker?"

She nodded, reaching into her pocket for her key. "A change of clothes would be great. The uniform seems to have a strange effect on the staff and patients."

"I'll go with you," Ed said as he stood, "I'll drive your jeep back, so if you need it, it'll be here."

"Thanks, but I don't think I'll be going anywhere any time soon," she replied, fiddling absently with the edge of her uniform shirt.

"I'll stay and keep you company, Jules," Spike offered.

"I don't think I'll be great company," she glanced at Spike, "But if you can put up with me, that'll be great."

He returned her smile.

"Mrs. Braddock," a nurse called from the doorway of the room a warm smile on her face.

Jules stood, Spike at her side as they walked over to the nurse.

"If you'd like to come with me, I'll take you up to your husband," she explained as she led them out of the waiting room.

~~88~~88~~88~~

Jules stood before the closed door, her hand grasped tightly on the handle, her fingers refusing to open it. She wondered how long she could stand there before she had to go into the room. She desperately wanted to see him, but she also didn't want to see him lying hurt in a hospital bed. The nurse had warned her about the machines and other equipment that Sam was attached to and just like the doctor she assured her that Sam could probably hear her and would know she was with him.

Taking a deep breath she opened the door and walked into his room. She noticed straight away that his right leg was encased in plaster and was in traction. Slowly she walked over to him, almost tiptoeing, it was as if she was afraid to wake him, but with the quietness of the room and how still and peaceful he looked, she couldn't help herself. He looked like he was asleep; his face relaxed like he did when she woke up first in the morning and gave herself the luxury of watching him sleep.

Finally she stood beside his bed; she reached out and gently ran her fingertips across his forehead, allowing them to run through his hair. She leaned forward and pressed a kiss on his forehead, relishing the contact with him. "Hey, Sammy," she whispered, "I would really appreciate it if you could wake up soon, because it's been a really long day."

She waited and hoped for a response but nothing happened. She sighed, "Guess you're going to be sleeping beauty for a while," she teased gently, trying to lift her own heart.

She glanced at the chair beside his bed; at least this one wasn't plastic; in that moment it looked like the most comfortable chair in the world. She pulled it closer to his bed so that she could hold his hand whilst she sat and waited. She sank into the chair and allowed her muscles to relax slightly, she then grasped Sam's hand in hers, her thumb beginning to rub a gentle rhythm on the back of his hand. At least now she could touch him, because the last five hours had felt more like five weeks and in every minute she had missed being with him.

He had slowly crept into her heart and her life and she couldn't imagine not having him in her life.

~~88~~88~~88~~

The warmth of the morning light on her cheek woke her from her slumber, slowly she opened her eyes and for a few seconds she wondered where she was. Then reality dawned on her. She was sitting in hospital, with Sam. Quickly she glanced at him, he was still fast asleep.

"Morning, Sam," she said; "Time to get up." She leaned across his bed and stroked her fingers through his hair, like she did when he was still asleep and she had woken first at home. She watched his face intently, waiting for his eyelids to open, revealing the warm blue eyes that she'd grown to love. She hoped there would be a sign that he could hear her, a crease in his forehead; a movement under his eyelids or the twitch of his hands. Nothing.

"Guess you must be really tired, if you're not waking up for breakfast. Although, knowing hospital food from first hand experience, can't say you'll be missing much. Now if it was one of my mango smoothies, you'd be up and ready for action."

The sound of his door opening, caused her to turn, she expected it to be a nurse. They'd been in to check on him every couple of hours and they always gave her a knowing sympathetic smile. She'd returned their smiles and watched quietly as they checked Sam's status.

"Morning, Jules," Greg said warmly as he walked in a large cup of coffee and a bag in his hands. "How is he?" he asked as he glanced at Sam.

"No change," she replied, standing up to stretch her legs.

"I brought you breakfast," he replied handing over the cup and bag, "I got you your favourite."

"Thanks," Jules took the bag and cup, taking a sip of the coffee, she didn't realise she was hungry until she opened the bag and the sight of her favourite bagel welcomed her. She sat back down in her chair and began to eat.

"Morning, Sam," Greg spoke to him, "You had us worried yesterday. Now we're hoping that you'll wake up soon, because I'm two men down and a third until you wake up, as I'm sure Jules is not going to leave your side. You know how hard it is finding good replacements, especially breaking new rookies in. Look how long it took us to break you in, although you nearly didn't make it to rookie status, with your little stunt at that scene on your first day. At least you made it memorable; it isn't every rookie who is welcomed by the rest of his team at gunpoint; or meeting their future wife at the wrong end of a Remy."

Jules looked up from her bagel and smiled at Greg, his words reminding her of her first meeting with Sam. Their first meeting was still something she liked to tease him about and when she did; he always replied with the same answer and a huge grin on his face, "At least you'll never forget how we met."

"I'm not likely to forget your stupidity," she always replied, "You're just lucky none of us shot you."

His smile always widened at her comment, "Nah, you're a super sniper chick, you don't waste bullets," leaning forward and silencing their conversation with a kiss.

"Jules?" Greg stated her name, trying to pull her from her thoughts.

Hearing her name, she focused back on Greg, "Sorry, just lost in my thoughts."

Greg smiled, "That's okay, Jules. I was thinking if you wanted to go home and get a shower or something, I'll sit with Sam for a while. Team One's off rotation for a while until we can sort out cover."

"Maybe, it would be nice to freshen up. But what happens if he wakes up and I'm not here?" she worried.

"I'll be here if he wakes up. He'll understand, just like you would if the tables were turned."

Jules finished her bagel as she thought about whether she should go home. She worked out in her head how long it would take her to drive home, shower; change and head back. An hour. Could she leave Sam for an hour?

"Jules, he'll be fine," Greg reassured her recognising her internal debate as her forehead creased as she thought.

"Okay, I'll be no more than an hour," she stood looking from Greg to Sam. She leaned forward across Sam's bed, "Sam, I'm going to go home and get changed, Greg's going to stay with you. I'll be back soon. I love you," she said before placing a kiss on his forehead.

She looked at Greg, "You'll call me if he wakes up."

"You have my word, Jules," Greg promised.

"Thanks," Jules stated as she looked back down at Sam, slowly she backed out of the room. Closing the door behind her she hurried down the corridor, she didn't want to be longer than an hour.

~~88~~88~~88~~

Freshly showered and changed Jules headed down the stairs, ready for her return journey to the hospital. As she walked towards the front door a photograph hanging on the corridor wall caught her eye. She paused and studied it, memories rushing into her mind.

~8~

She was flicking through a magazine, looking at pictures of cakes and flowers. She sighed as she didn't really know what she wanted. She had never been one of those girls who had her wedding planned. She hadn't spent her childhood dreaming of being a fairytale princess, marrying her Prince Charming and living happily ever after.

She knew that real life didn't have happy endings. When her mother died, her world had changed in a moment. She had realised that happiness could be snatched away in a second. Her memories of her mother were sparse; she just remembered her warmth, love and her smile.

Her Dad had tried his best, but he didn't know how to deal with little girls, so he treated her like her brothers. Her dolls were forgotten, fishing, camping and sports became her focus. She might not have been your typical girl, but she enjoyed her childhood and it certainly prepared her for her choice of career.

After Sam had proposed she had the daunting task of planning the wedding, she had flicked through magazines, hoping that she'd be inspired or instantly know what went with what. But basically what did she know about planning a wedding? Fortunately Natalie had offered her services when she'd stopped by the house and found Jules surrounded by a sea of magazines.

"What're you looking at?" Sam asked as he walked into the living room, noticing Jules flicking through a magazine.

"Wedding cakes; Natalie wants me to make a decision," Jules explained.

"Why would Natalie want you to make a decision?" a look of confusion on his face as he sat down next to her on the sofa.

"She offered to organise the wedding," Jules smiled and waited.

"Are you sure?" he uttered his look of confusion transforming into one of shock.

Jules shrugged her shoulders, "She seemed to know what she was doing. Within minutes of finding me under a pile of magazines, she had a list of requirements and was off to sort everything out."

Sam nodded slowly.

"Let her do this for us, Sam."

"Just remember that it was your idea when you find yourself standing in the church with a twenty piece orchestra playing classical music and rose petals falling from the sky, with an army of bridesmaids and flower girls."

Jules' eyebrows rose, "She wouldn't, would she? I said small, simple no frills or fuss."

Sam grinned, "You underestimate Natalie Braddock. She has had her wedding planned since she was six. Full Disney princess spectacle. The General is dreading the day she announces she's getting married."

"Why?"

"Because of the cost. Orchestras, carriages, twenty bridesmaids and rose petals do not come cheap," he replied, running his fingers through her hair, before resting his arm around her shoulders.

Jules chuckled, "Spike doesn't know what he's getting himself into, does he?"

"He might do after she's planned our wedding. 'Cause I don't think he's going to be hearing much else for the next three months."

"Are you happy with Nat planning it?"

"If you're happy, then I am too. But I am going to say no if she insists on letting a pair of white doves fly during the ceremony."

"Why?" she asked.

He shuddered at the thought of the birds, "Birds are not my friends."

She laughed, "My tough soldier fiancé is scared of birds?"

Sam shook his head, "Not scared; just respectfully dislikes them."

"There's a story to that, isn't there?"

"One I'm not sharing any time soon."

Jules pouted, "But you love me, I've told you my secrets."

Sam's eyebrow rose questioningly, "I'm absolutely positive that you've not shared all of your secrets. You often state that certain pieces of information are on a need to know basis. I'm declaring that my dislike for birds is definitely on my need to know list. And at the moment you definitely do not need to know."

Jules leaned forward and began to place kisses along his chin, between each kiss she spoke, "Are… you… sure… you… don't… want… to… share?"

"Nice try, Jules," he murmured, "But I'm not going to share."

Jules pulled back and frowned, "Then I'm sure you'll find the spare room comfortable until the wedding!"

"You can't be serious?" he replied incredulously.

"Watch me," She levelled her gaze at his.

He recognised the look on her face, it was one she used with people who she needed information from when she was interrogating them at a scene. For someone who may have been small she had more guts and character than most of the soldiers he'd served with. It was a look that he'd ignored once before and he'd suffered, he wasn't willing on repeating that mistake again.

He sighed and shook his head.

"Well?" she asked, shifting on the sofa so that she could look at him.

"I was eight. The General decided it would be character building for me to spend a few nights camping by myself. I had erected my tent in the backyard. I had my rations, my sleeping bag and my torch. My Mom wasn't so sure that it was a good idea, even though I was in the backyard. But what the General wants he gets. I was eight and I thought it was going to be a fabulous adventure."

"And it wasn't?" Jules asked quietly, regretting that she'd pushed him to reveal something he hadn't wanted to share.

"It started off really well. I spent the first night confident and happy; I ate my rations, bedded down in my sleeping back and slept like a log."

"But?" She reached out, placing her hand on his arm, as she waited for him to continue.

"The second night…" He shifted uneasily at the thought. "The second night, a bird must have flown in during the day. I hadn't secured the door to the tent properly, there was a gap. I went into my tent ready for my second night. As I entered I could hear something flapping, my heart pounded and I wondered what it was. The next second I felt something move past my face, I could just feel it tickling my face. Then something screeched." He hung his head, refusing to meet her eyes.

She began to rub small circles with her fingertips on his arm, hoping to comfort him. She could imagine him as a frightened child unsure what he was sharing his tent with. It explained the reason why when they camped; he always made sure their tent door was firmly closed during the day.

"I panicked; I thought it was a vampire bat after my blood! I managed to open the door and ran out into the backyard, the winged monster chasing me. I turned around to make sure it wasn't going to attack me and I noticed that it wasn't a vampire at all but a bird. A big one," He moved his arms to indicate how big the bird was.

Jules rolled her eyes, "So it wasn't a vampire bat, but a flying ostrich?"

Sam smiled sheepishly, "It looked like a flying ostrich when I was eight, but it was a kingfisher. And ever since that experience, I've avoided birds if I can help it."

"So no doves then?" She teased gently.

He shook his head, "No doves."

"I'm sorry," she moved her hand from his arm and began to run it up the back of his neck, her fingertips playing with the short hairs at the base of his head.

"For making me share one of my more embarrassing moments."

"I'm sorry because I should have respected that you didn't want to share that story with me." She placed a chaste kiss to his jawlines, "What happened after the bird flew away?"

Sam shook his head, "I sat in the middle of my tent, with my flashlight on waiting for morning. The General wanted me to camp out for a third night. Unfortunately I managed to catch a bought of stomach flu."

"Your Mom helped you fake it, didn't she?"

He smiled, "I told her the story about the bird the next morning, when I snuck in after the General left for work. By the time he returned home, I was in my own bed with the stomach flu. Every summer after that, my Mom managed to run interference so he didn't make me spend anymore nights in the yard."

"But you like camping now?"

He pulled her towards him, "I especially like camping with you," kissing her gently. "Even when you kick me in our sleeping bag."

She chuckled, "Well those things are a little tight on space."

"But snuggling is nice," he replied a smile on his lips.

"Yep, snuggling is."

He began to brush his fingers through her hair, playing with the ends, "When I was a teenager, camping in the yard or with my friends, gave me space from my father. He thought he was training me for some brilliant military career, which I guess he was on some level. I saw it as an opportunity to spend a few hours away from the military routines he implemented at home. Suddenly the great outdoors was more appealing, as long as there weren't any birds."

"So that's why we never camp near lakes, then?"

He nodded, "Don't want to find the tent full of ducks."

She shook her head, "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For trusting me enough to share that story with me."

"I'm sure one of these days you'll share an embarrassing story with me."

She shrugged her shoulders, "Can't think of one at the moment. But I will make sure there are no doves at our wedding. I want to marry you, not scare you."

"I want to marry you too," he replied, moving his fingers to the back of her neck, slowly pulling her towards him. When she was closes enough he dipped his head so that he could capture her lips in a slow and lingering kiss.

~8~

She smiled as she studied the picture of her and Sam outside their tent on one of their many camping adventures. Since that conversation the one thing she always checked when they were camping was that there weren't any birds playing hide and seek in their tent. It was the one thing she could do for him, when he did so much for her every day. She turned to the closet in the hallway and quickly plucked the object she was looking for. Tucking it under her arm she quickly hurried out of the house, ready to return to Sam.

~~~88~~88~~88~~


	5. Chapter 4: The trouble with animals

_Thanks as always to everyone who has taken the time to review, favourite and follow. I hope to get the next part out next weekend._

_Take care,_

_Sairs_

~~88~~88~~88~~

_Chapter 4 ~ The trouble with animals_

~~88~~88~~88~~

She returned to Sam's room hoping that there might be a change in his condition, but as soon as she opened the door, she was disappointed that he was still giving Sleeping Beauty a run for her money. Greg was sitting beside Sam's bed; reading the Hockey results from the newspaper to him. When he heard the door open, he turned towards it, a small smile crossing his lips when he saw her.

"No change?" she asked as she walked around the bed to take up her seat.

Greg shook his head, "No, not even when I told him that the Canucks lost."

Jules smiled, "He'd usually be sulking for hours after that result."

"How are you holding up?" He subtly changed the topic.

"I feel better, but it was odd being home knowing that he wasn't going to walk in the door behind me. Or be in the kitchen making a mess…" she paused, her fingers playing with the hem of her shirt. "What happens if he doesn't wake up?" she asked her voice cracking.

Greg leaned forward in his chair, "Jules, he's a fighter. He won't give up easily, he fought too long to be with you to give up. He didn't give up on you when you were shot, or when you were bleeding out in the lab. Even when he couldn't physically be in the room to help you, his words…" Greg paused, the emotions he felt when he'd sat in that room with Toth, hearing Sam's voice telling Jules to take short breaths. Feeling like he'd let them both down, when all they'd done was fall in love with each other. "He might take a little time to wake up, but I'm sure it won't be long before he's up and about showing everyone how good he is at using his crutches. Just like you won't give up on him."

She nodded, "It's just hard, waiting. Feeling useless, I can't fix him, I can't wake him up. I can't make it better. All I can do is wait…" her voice was filled with frustration.

Greg chuckled and shook his head, "I know you find it hard, you're always one for action, but this is one of the times where we're all going to have to wait for Sam to open his eyes when he's ready. He's not on anyone's timetable but his own. But, Jules, we're all going to be here for you, even if it's just to let you go home for a break."

She met his gaze, less frustration in her voice, "Thank you." She frowned suddenly remembering a question she should have asked Greg as soon as he'd entered Sam's room earlier that morning, "How's Raf?"

"Got the worst headache of his life, he's laying in a darkened room. But the doctors are hopeful that they'll be able to release him tomorrow."

"That's good; I'll try and visit him later."

"He knows about Sam and he doesn't expect you to leave him, Spike's been keeping him entertained, well as quietly entertained as Spike can manage."

Jules chuckled, imagining Spike trying to be quiet, "What's going to happen to Team One? We should be on rotation?"

"Teams Three and Four are dividing our shifts up for now as we're three men down. Raf won't be able to return to duty until the beginning of next week at the earliest. We're not sure about…" He glanced at Sam, "And your head's not going to be in the game if you're thinking about Sam. I've spoken to Holleran and he's going to look at temporarily transferring members from the other teams to make up Team One until you're both ready for duty."

"Thank you," She replied, relieved that she didn't have to worry about leaving Sam's side.

"Anyway," slowly he stood up. "I'll be back later. I'm going to rescue Raf from Spike." He met her eyes, "If you need anything, call."

She nodded, "Thanks, I will. Say Hi to Raf for me."

"I will, Jules." He turned to Sam, "Sam, I expect next time I see you, you're going to be giving the nurses a run for their money."

She chuckled.

~~88~~88~~88~~

Later when she was alone in the room with Sam, she pulled out a photograph album she'd taken from the hall closet when she'd left home earlier.

She laid the album in her lap and ran her fingers over the cover as she began to talk, "I thought this would help me talk to you. It's full of memories, some I'd rather forget; others changed my life forever." She glanced over at him, "When I was at home this morning I remembered making you share your story of why you didn't like birds and you said that you would like to listen to some of my stories. Well I guess now is my turn to start sharing some of my stories. But there's one condition, Sam. When I've finished, I expect you to wake up, because there are still some empty pages in here and I want to fill them with pictures of our future."

Running her fingers over the blue butterflies on the front cover once more, she inhaled deeply before opening it to the first page.

~~88~~88~~88~~

She smiled at the photograph, a small black and white image of her seven year old self smiling at the camera, large empty fields behind her.

"We moved to our farm in The Hat when I was seven. It was about a year after my Mom died. Until then I'd lived in Toronto, the only open spaces I'd experienced were the parks in the city. I'd never been on a plane before either. So it was a real adventure to be told we were going to live on a farm, well I felt it was an adventure.

"I remember getting off the plane and Dad driving us to our new home. My brothers had sulked the entire plane journey, refusing to barely acknowledge Dad. I was a little easier on him, but only if you can call a bouncing seven year old easy.

"The ride in the car was even worse than the plane ride. At least on the plane there had been other passengers to distract me from my brothers. But in the car there were no distractions. The atmosphere inside was so thick you could almost cut it with a knife. I don't think anyone uttered a word the entire journey. Even I managed to contain my excitement.

"My eyes were glued to the window. I had never seen so much countryside in my life. It was field after field, with an occasional house in the distance.

"I was awestruck.

"After what seemed like an eternity we finally arrived at our new home. It really was in the middle of nowhere. Our nearest neighbour was ten minutes away in the car.

"I was ready to forget Toronto and star my new adventure. That was until I met Jesse."

Jules turned the page and shook her head at the image that greeted her eyes, in the middle of a grassy field stood Jesse, his brown eyes glaring at her. Involuntarily she shivered.

"When the car stopped, I unbuckled my seatbelt, jumped out of the car, ready to explore. My Dad warned me to be careful, but I was seven and I didn't listen. I was ready for an adventure. So I left my brothers and Dad at the car and ran away to explore.

"The fields that surrounded our house were huge. They were surrounded by large wooden fences. I ran to the nearest fence and began to climb. I jumped into a large field that was framed by trees, the grass was knee high and lush. I began to run; it was the best feeling in the world until I heard a snorting sound.

"I'd never quite heard anything like it before. I stopped in my tracks and slowly looked over my shoulder. My heart nearly stopped when my eyes met the face of the monster staring at me.

"It snorted again and began to scrape its right foot on the floor.

"I quickly weighed up my options and thought running towards the nearest tree was the best plan. I took a deep breath and ran as fast as I could to a big Oak tree. I could hear the pounding of footsteps behind me as I ran faster and faster.

"I was so relieved to reach the bottom of the tree; I quickly clambered up the trunk and sat on a branch.

"The beast arrived at the base of the tree a few moments after I sat on the branch. It stood there glaring at me, snorting and stamping its foot on the ground.

"Jesse the bull stayed at the bottom of the tree until my Dad and his farmhand Mr. Jackson came and rescued me.

"I think I sat in that tree for two hours. Dusk was starting to fall and my legs had begun to go to sleep. My Dad was not happy and neither was Jesse, especially when he was led away by Mr. Jackson, stomping and stamping his feet.

"After that I stayed away from Jesse and the other cows. I also decided that farming as a career was not an option for me. You can attempt to negotiate with a person but animals are not so easy.

"That's why I always steer clear of the cows when I visit home, because even though I know I can climb a tree quite fast. I never want to test myself like that again. Trying it once at seven was enough!"

She rubbed her finger over the picture of Jesse the bull glaring at her and smiled.

~~88~~88~~88~~

Jules paced back and forth as the sun set over the city, the last rays of light causing an orange glow on the glass windows of the tower blocks. She always enjoyed the sunset, on the farm it seemed to go on forever, but in the city, it seemed to be over as soon as it began.

She turned to look at Sam, the orange glow of the sunset illuminating his features; he looked peaceful as if he didn't have a care in the world. Well he didn't, she reasoned, she was the one who was worried, worried that he wouldn't wake up, worried that she would have to live the rest of her life without him. That was something that terrified her. She had never relied on anyone, or let anyone in, but Sam Braddock had slowly broken down her defences and captured her heart.

She walked over to her chair and lowered herself into it, she brushed her fingers down his arm before picking up his hand, "Sam, you've been asleep for six days. I think you've had enough sleep and you're missing a beautiful sunset." She watched his features hoping for a twitch or a blink but there was nothing.

She ran her thumb on the back of his hand, rubbing small circles on the back of his it, enjoying the contact with him. She looked out of the window and watched as the last rays of sunlight licked the buildings. Her mind wandered back to their honeymoon.

"I was thrilled when you told me where we were going on our honeymoon, I know we'd had the hypothetical honeymoon talk, but the reality was much better. I don't think I stopped grinning the entire ride to the Huron National Forest. You had everything planned, one week just you, me and nature."

She chuckled to herself as she thought about the week they'd spent together, backpacking, exploring the remote trails of the forest. It was a wonder they'd survived the week without a major argument, but if anything the week had brought them closer together.

"I think it was the third night when your plan went awry. You'd planned our camp for the night perfectly; our tent looked out over the lake. So that we could watch the sun set over the hills, it was supposed to be a magnificent sight and I was really looking forward to it. You wouldn't let me do a thing, you'd prepared dinner, baked beans from a can and bread you'd toasted over the open flames. It looked delicious as you'd set everything out on a blanket. The one thing you hadn't counted on was the racoon."

She paused as she recalled the look of shock that had been etched on his face when he had gently pulled her towards the blanket and realised that there was a racoon sitting in the middle of the blanket trying out their beans on toast. It looked at them defiantly, its whiskers coated in tomato sauce.

"It was the thought that counted, and the racoon thought you were very kind serving it beans on toast for its supper. It was reluctant to leave anything behind, even when you attempted to shoo it away with a large stick. It didn't acquiesce, making a point to grab the piece of toast from the other plate and take it with it before running into the trees.

"It was the look of disbelief on your face when you realised all of your hard work had been devoured by a very hungry racoon that made my heart ache a little for you. Although I soon rectified that with a consolation prize of hot chocolate, smores and a sympathetic kiss. But at least we didn't miss the sunset, we huddled together on the blanket, and watched the light dance on the water before it disappeared, replaced by a sky that was filled with twinkling stars."

She lifted his hand so that she could rest her cheek against his palm. "That night you sat and told me stories about the different constellations we could see. I learned a lot about you that night, Sam. Listening to your stories and thoughts, but also you shared some of the secrets from your time in Afghanistan, where you'd seen the night sky from a different perspective."

She tilted her cheek so that her lips rested against the palm of his hand, gently placing a kiss against his warm skin and then slid her cheek back into his palm. "Sam, if we spend a hundred years together, I don't think we're going to know everything about each other." She released his hand and placed it back by his side, leaning forward, across his body, so that she could look at his face, "You're the one person in this world who knows me and it scares me just how much I need you. I don't want to do this alone; I want to spend the next hundred years finding out everything there is to know about you." She felt a tear escape her eye and slowly run down her cheek, she quickly rubbed it away with her fingertips. Crying was a sign of weakness and she couldn't be anything other than strong. He needed her to be strong and she wasn't going to let him down.

She rested her head against his chest listening to the strong heartbeat that had lulled her to sleep hundreds of times before. She felt her eyelids become heavy as the sound of his heart soothed her, "Please wake up," she whispered before succumbing to the peacefulness of slumber.

~~88~~88~~88~~


	6. Chapter 5 : Tensions rise

_I'd like to thank everyone who's taken the time to review, favourite or follow my story, it means a great deal._

_I hope you have a great day wherever you are._

_Sairs _

~~88~~88~~88~~

_Chapter Five ~ Tensions rise_

~~88~~88~~88~~

The sun shone though the window, basking the sterile room with its warmth. Jules had read the morning paper aloud, which she was now getting used to. She felt that she was becoming an expert at holding a monologue. It had been fourteen days since the accident and Sam was being as stubborn as ever, refusing to wake up.

He'd been for several scans and tests, but there was no conclusive reason as to why he hadn't woken up. The Doctors kept saying, 'Give him time.'

Yes. Jules loved Sam and sometimes it frightened her just how much she loved him. But however much she loved him she was becoming more and more frustrated with the situation she found herself in. She had always been one to take control of her life, to find a solution. That's why she enjoyed her job so much, because she made a difference.

But after fourteen days of waiting she was becoming more and more frustrated. Looking at the same four walls. Seeing the same faces. And waiting. Waiting for him to wake up.

She enjoyed the times when their friends stopped by, it gave her a chance to go home, or for a walk. Just a change of scenery. She had never felt so trapped in her life.

She knew that if the tables had been turned, Sam would be sat by her bed, waiting. Like he had the time she'd been shot. She now appreciated how hard it was sitting and waiting for someone you love to come back to you.

Earlier, after she had finished reading the newspaper to him. She had watched him, and waited for a response, as she waited she became more frustrated, pleading with him to wake up. Finally her tone of voice changed and she demanded that he wake up. Still there was no response. She had instinctively reached out, but she'd stopped herself when she realised she was going to grab him by the shoulders and attempt to shake him awake.

At that point she had walked away from him and his room and had circuited the hospital grounds pounding her frustrations out as she paced, berating herself for almost shaking Sam. He couldn't help the situation any more than she could.

After an hour of pacing and physical activity she felt was able to return to his room.

Once again she sat down beside his bed, taking up her position as she resumed her vigil. She wondered whether she should take up a hobby. She had considered knitting, thinking that a warm scarf would be nice. But then she remembered the incident earlier, deciding that access to sharp pointed objects might not be a good thing, as she might be tempted to prod him with the needles in an attempt to wake him.

Sighing she rubbed her temple with her fingertips, before reaching into the bedside cabinet and pulling out the photo album she stored there.

Slowly she opened the cover and flicked through the book, stopping at a photo of Sam in her kitchen. She chuckled as she recalled the moment she had captured his image with her phone camera, the look of shock on his face as she immortalised the moment forever.

~~88~~88~~88~~

It had been a long shift. The four hour interrogation by SIU had taken its toll after an intense negotiation, which had resulted in her calling Scorpio and Ed executing her order.

The SIU officer in charge of her interview was new and they had spent the best part of four hours talking in circles in an attempt to justify her call. Eventually the SIU officer agreed with her decision to execute the Scorpio order and a rightful shoot was logged.

When she'd stepped out of the interview room, she had hurried back to her changing room, desperate to leave the day behind. She smiled as she approached her locker, a note taped to the front of it. Instantly she recognised Sam's familiar scrawl.

She pulled the note from the locker and quickly decoded Sam's handwriting; she shook her head, a whole new host of worries replacing her work related ones.

Her biggest concern was whether when she returned home would she still have a kitchen? Or would a burnt out shell be welcoming her home?

Quickly she changed, thinking that she would have a shower later when she was satisfied that everything at home was still intact. She grabbed her bag and closed her locker door, heading home to her husband.

She couldn't help the smile that crossed her face at the thought of referring to Sam as her husband, they'd been married for exactly two weeks, had returned home from honeymoon seven days ago. She was still getting used to being Mrs. Braddock; several times she had unintentionally ignored people who had addressed her as Mrs. Braddock. She had thought they were referring to someone else. She had been embarrassed when the penny had dropped and she'd apologised profusely.

The drive home had been uneventful; she pulled her jeep into the drive, grabbed her bag and hurried to the door. There wasn't any sign of smoke; she was relieved that the house was still standing.

She unlocked the door and hurried inside, a unique aroma assaulting her nose. She quietly closed the door behind her, dropping her bag in the hall closet and walked to the kitchen.

She managed to stifle the gasp that threatened to escape her throat as she looked at the kitchen. Each of the counter tops were covered with a layer of white dust. Flour, she reasoned. Every pot and pan they owned had been used and were stacked precariously in the sink. Sam stood next to the stove, a spoon in his hand and he appeared to be stirring a large pot, humming an indiscernible tune as he worked. He was also covered in a layer of white powder.

Carefully she reached into her pocket and pulled out her mobile phone, selecting the camera option, she lined up the shot and then spoke, "Sam! What have you done?"

He jumped, startled by her voice, he dropped the spoon into the pot, a splash of red sauce dropping onto the stove, a slight sizzling sound erupting as it made contact with the hot plate.

He turned towards her a startled look etched on his features. As he looked at her, she quickly captured the moment.

"Jules!" he replied sheepishly, "I've made dinner."

Jules' eyebrow rose questioningly, "Dinner? It looks like there's been a mini snowstorm in here," she teased looking around the kitchen.

He shrugged his shoulders as he looked at the mess that surrounded him, "It sort of just developed."

Jules walked over to the sink and grabbed a dishcloth, preparing to return her counter tops to their natural colour. As she placed the cloth on the counter, his hand covered hers.

"Stop, Jules," he requested quietly. "It's my mess, I'll clear it up."

She turned slightly so that her eyes met his, a smile crossing her lips at the look of nervousness on his face. "You've made dinner, the least I can do is help tidy." She grinned, "What have we got for dinner?" She asked still trying to work out the smell.

"Well," he shrugged his shoulders, "According to the recipe, it's vegetable ratatouille."

A puzzled look crossed her face as she tried to understand why everything had been covered in flour if he'd made ratatouille. "So why is everything covered in flour?"

He grinned, "Well that would be the dessert's fault."

"So the dessert is guilty of making this mess?" she asked sceptically.

He nodded slowly.

"What did it do? Jump into the flour pot?"

He shifted nervously on his feet, "I got a little flustered and knocked the pot of flour over when I was making the crumble."

Jules snorted, "Crumble?"

"Yes," he replied a look of indignation on his face, "We've got apple crumble for dessert. My Grandmother's recipe," he stated proudly.

"Apple crumble," She smiled, "Did it state in your Grandmother's recipe that it was necessary to use every pan we own and to redecorate the kitchen in a fetching shade of white?"

He shook his head and slowly stepped forward, "That's my personal touch." He gently grasped her hands, tugging her towards him.

"Sam!" she exclaimed as she found herself flush against him, a cloud of flour dancing in the air as it shook from him at their contact.

"I wanted to share," he leaned forward and placed a chaste kiss on her lips. "How did it go?" He asked as he pulled back, searching her face.

She shrugged her shoulders, "It went."

He nodded and rubbed his fingers on her cheek, smearing flour and leaving a row of stripes in their wake.

"Sam," she rolled her eyes.

"Just didn't want you to be left out," he replied smugly.

She shook her head, "You just want to make me as messy as you so that there's a need to shower."

A grin slowly formed on his lips, "Well I'm not admitting to an ulterior motive, but a shower with my wife would be an excellent conclusion to this evening."

"Whether or not we're sharing a shower is reliant on how good dinner is, because after this mess it should taste phenomenal."

"Well it won't be that long. I'll just clean up the mess…"

She stopped him with a kiss, "I'll help; it'll be much quicker." Her stomach rumbled as if to support her next statement, "I'm hungry; I want to eat and spend the evening forgetting about today."

He smiled, "Well that's two things I can certainly help with." He handed her back the dishcloth. "I'll tackle the pots and pans, if you do the counters."

She nodded, beginning to smear the white dust from her counters.

~~88~~88~~88~~

Jules turned to Sam's prone form as she closed the photo album, "That ratatouille wasn't too bad and the crumble was worth the mess you made of the kitchen." Her cheeks flushed slightly as she remembered how they finished off their evening sharing a shower. "That evening was certainly one of our more memorable dinners. I want to have many more with you," she whispered as she leaned over and ran her fingers through his blonde hair.

~~88~~88~~88~~

The moonlight seeped through the blinds of Sam's hospital room, bathing the room in a soft glow. The only other light in the room was the small light that hung on the wall above Sam's bed.

It had been Ed's turn to stop by; the team had been taking it in turns to visit, not only checking up on Sam, but also on Jules. As each day passed and Sam remained in a coma, Jules seemed to lose a little bit more of herself.

Ed had spent the duration of his visit talking about random things that had happened. One thing that had brightened Jules' evening was a story about Spike and Babycakes. There had been a technical hitch when he'd upgraded her software and her signal had gotten confused with another remote signal and Babycakes had chased Holleran's new PA around the office, until Spike had managed to wrangle control of his robot.

Jules had smiled as she imagined the look of horror on Spike's face as Babycakes ignored his commands. Spike loved Babycakes, she was his pride and joy and he hated it when something went wrong with her. "What did Holleran say?" she asked.

Ed smiled, "Let's just say that Babycakes is on a very short leash at the moment and Spike is desperately trying to get back on Holleran's good side."

Jules shook her head, "Poor Spike."

"He'll get over it," Ed shook his head slightly, "Although I'm not so sure about Jane, Holleran's new PA. If she has to come to our floor she virtually bolts from the elevator to Winnie's desk, nervously checking to see if Babycakes is around."

"I've missed it," Jules said quietly.

"We've missed you too, Jules," Ed admitted.

She looked up from Sam and met Ed's eyes, "What if he doesn't wake up?" She was slowly becoming resigned to the fact that at some point she might have to make an effort to start living again, rather than existing. That thought terrified her. She would never give up on Sam, but she didn't know how long she could spend sitting beside his bed waiting.

"He'll wake up when he's ready. He's just going to take his time about it."

"But…"

"Jules," Ed's voice was firm, "He won't think any less of you if you don't spend every waking moment by his bedside. He will understand, just as you would."

She nodded, "It's just…" She then told him about the incident earlier in the day when she'd almost shook him.

"But you stopped yourself and walked away. You gave yourself time." He sat and thought for a moment before speaking, "Sophie's taking Izzy shopping for new clothes tomorrow, why don't you join her?"

"I'm not sure…"

Ed held up his hand, stopping Jules' protests, "I'm not on duty tomorrow, I'll come and sit with Sam, whilst you go shopping with Sophie and Izzy." He smiled, "Izzy loves spending time with you and I know you have a soft spot for her."

Thinking about Izzy's smile, Jules nodded her head, "I'd like that. Are you sure Sophie won't mind?"

"She'll enjoy taking you rather than me…" he shrugged his shoulders, "Clothes shopping is not one of my favourite things, even if it is for Izzy."

"Thanks, Ed."

"You're welcome, Jules," he glanced at his watch before slowly standing. "I need to go, especially if I want to tuck Izzy in."

Jules smiled, "Give her a hug for me."

Ed nodded. Just as he was about to leave the hospital room, he stopped and reached into his pocket. He pulled out a folded piece of paper and offered it to her. "I almost forgot I had this."

She took the folded paper and carefully unfolded it; she smiled when she saw a series of coloured squiggles and circles on it. In adult handwriting a small caption said, 'Get well soon, Uncle Sam.' At the bottom of the paper was a few squiggles, with 'love Izzy', written by the side of them, again in the adult's handwriting. "Thanks."

"Sophie helped her with it, but she really doesn't understand why she can't come and see him," he glanced at Sam.

"She can when he's awake."

"And that will be soon, Jules," he replied, "Now don't forget you need to get some rest too."

She nodded, "I'll go home soon. I need to get ready for a girls' shopping trip."

Ed shook his head and chuckled, "Just promise me you won't buy too many pink things."

"But she's a girl, Ed."

"And there are many other colours that are appropriate for girls, other than pink."

Jules chuckled, "I'll try, but don't hold out much hope, because Izzy definitely likes pink."

Ed shook his head again, "Night, Jules."

"Night, Ed," she watched him leave before turning back to watch Sam, thoughts of Izzy seeping into her mind.

~~88~~88~~88~~


	7. Chapter 6 : Fun in the snow

_Thanks for the reviews, follows and favourites. They mean a lot. Also helps to keeps the ideas flowing._

_Hope you've had a good weekend._

_Sairs_

~~88~~88~~88~~

Chapter 6 ~ Fun in the snow

~~88~~88~~88~~

Jules couldn't help but smile at the look of glee on Izzy's face when she pointed at the pink dress that Jules held up for her.

"Me peas," Izzy uttered holding her hands out towards the dress.

"I guess you like this one, huh?" Jules asked.

"Peas, Auntie Jules," Izzy begged, bouncing up and down in her stroller with delight.

"But Daddy said I wasn't to buy you lots of pink clothes," Jules reasoned.

Izzy shook her head, "Silly Daddy. Me like pink."

Jules chuckled looking at Sophie, who had a warm smile on her face as she watched Jules and Izzy interacting. "Well, Sophie do you think Ed will mind if I get her this one?"

"I don't think he has much choice, Izzy knows what she likes and she likes pink," Sophie replied, enjoying Jules' look of happiness, it had been the first genuine smile Sophie had seen since before Sam's accident.

"Looks like you're a lucky young lady, Izzy," Jules leaned forward and ruffled the child's wispy hair. "Let's go see if there's a coat to match."

"The dress is plenty," Sophie began.

Jules held up her hand stopping Sophie in her tracks, "Please, Sophie, let me do this." She looked at Sophie hoping that she didn't have to explain why she needed to buy clothes for Izzy.

Sophie nodded, getting Jules' silent message.

Jules placed the dress in the shopping basket before taking control of the stroller and heading towards the winter coat section of the store. "Okay, Izzy, let's see what pink coats they've got."

~~88~~88~~88~~

Jules perched on the edge of Izzy's bed, the sleepy two year old's eyes were heavy as she vainly fought against slumber that was tugging at her. "Story, peas, Auntie Jules?" Izzy's voice was heavy with sleep as her little hand tugged on the sleeve of Jules' sweater.

Jules couldn't resist, "Okay, just one story then sleep."

Izzy yawned as she nodded, snuggling deeper into her pillow as she waited for Jules to position herself on the bed so that she could see the book. "Green eggs and ham?" Izzy begged tiredly.

Jules didn't know that Izzy liked Dr. Seuss, but she picked up the copy of, 'Green eggs and ham' that was beside her bed and began to read, "I am Sam. I am Sam, Sam I am." Her voice almost catching in her throat as her mind wandered back to Sam.

Izzy noticed that Jules had paused and at that moment decided to snuggle closer to her, resting her head against her side, she tilted it slightly so that she looked up at Jules. "Auntie Jules sad. Uncle Sam got a boo boo on his head."

Jules met Izzy's enquiring eyes, nodding slowly as she dropped her arm to rest on Izzy's back, taking solace in the comfort the child was offering. "Yes, Uncle Sam has got a boo boo and Auntie Jules is sad that Uncle Sam isn't awake. But he will be soon," she reassured Izzy.

Izzy looked thoughtful, "Me see Uncle Sam?"

"When he's awake you can come and show him that pretty pink dress we got you today."

Izzy nodded as she closed the book in Jules' hand, "Uncle Sam have book."

Jules smiled, "But it's your favourite."

"Uncle Sam have eggs and ham," she repeated sleepily as she closed her eyes.

"Okay, Sweetie," Jules replied quietly, leaning forward and placing a gentle kiss on Izzy's forehead, letting her fingers run through the soft brown curls that covered her head.

~~88~~88~~88~~

Jules quietly walked down the stairs to find Sophie sitting on the sofa a cup of coffee in her hand, "She asleep?" Sophie asked as she spotted Jules.

"Yep, shopping tires a girl out," Jules replied as she sank down into the chair next to the sofa.

Sophie chuckled, "It sure does. But she's one happy and spoilt little girl."

Jules nodded, as she picked up her cup of coffee, "Thank you for today."

"You're very welcome; it's been great to see you smile. Really smile."

"It's easy to smile when Izzy's around. The way she sees the world is…" Jules searched for the right word, "refreshing."

"She certainly has a unique perspective, she sees the good in everyone," Sophie paused, "Which can be a little concerning when she starts conversations with complete strangers."

"It must be nice to see the world through Izzy's eyes, not worrying about anything; enjoying the wonder of the world and the love of her family."

"But, she does worry. She's worried about Sam. She knows something isn't right, but we can't explain it to her so that she understands."

"She asked about Sam and gave me this," She held up the copy of Green eggs and ham, "She told me I had to read it to him."

A smile spread across Sophie's lips, "You know why, don't you?"

Jules shook her head, trying to think why that particular book would be important.

"He was the first person to read it to her; she thought it was hilarious because the character was called Sam."

"When?" Jules asked, trying to think of a time when Sam had been with Izzy and she'd not.

"A couple of months ago, Ed was looking after Izzy and Sam was helping, or hindering, I think Ed called it at the time. You were on a training course I think. Ed was keeping Sam out of trouble, he was missing you and he thought Izzy would be a good distraction. I think Ed had been regretting his decision as Sam and Izzy were getting along very well and there was little hope of her falling asleep. I've drilled it into Ed to keep her to a routine and Sam and Izzy were ignoring it.

"Izzy was getting grumpy and Ed was trying to calm her down so that she would sleep, but she kept demanding Uncle Sam."

Jules chuckled, "I can just see the look on Ed's face at that."

"Me too," Sophie smiled, "I had to listen to the afternoon in detail."

"So that explains Ed's reaction when I offered for Sam and me to babysit Sophie the other weekend, there was a look of horror mixed with nervousness."

"He relented though," Sophie replied.

"After he called you."

"He knows I'm the voice of reason."

"So Sam read her the story?"

"He plucked it out of his back pack. Apparently he'd bought it for her, but wasn't sure if she was old enough to appreciate it. Izzy stopped running around the room giggling and sat with Sam on a pile of cushions on the floor looking at the book." Sophie stood and walked over to a small bureau and opened a drawer. "I was going to frame this as a Christmas present for Sam from Izzy. But I think you could do with it now." She walked over to Jules and handed her a photograph.

Jules looked at the picture of Sam sitting on a pile of cushions; Izzy curled up in his lap, a copy of Green eggs and ham in his hand. They both had smiles on their faces that lit up their eyes. For a moment images of a future washed into her mind, an image of Sam sat reading to their child. A family was something she had been thinking about more and more and that image of Sam hoped that they would get the opportunity someday.

"Thank you," Jules replied quietly, rubbing away a tear that was slowly trickling down her cheek. "Sam will love it when he wakes up."

Sophie nodded, "He will and I know he'll wake up soon, Jules. He has so much to live for."

Jules stood and hugged Sophie, "Thank you for everything."

"Any time," Sophie replied, hugging Jules tightly.

~~88~~88~~88~~

Jules slowly sank into the seat beside Sam's bed. She had met Ed in the corridor and he explained that there was no change and that he'd read the entire newspaper to him from cover to cover. He'd asked about her day and she'd enlightened him on her shopping adventures and refused to apologise for the new pink items of clothing that were now adorning Izzy's wardrobe.

He'd shook his head as he'd walked away, reminding Jules that when she had a child in the future, Uncle Ed would return the favour.

"Hey, Sam," she started quietly, "I hear you've had a busy day entertaining Ed. Well I've had a busy day too. I went shopping with Izzy…" Jules began to regale him with the story of her day.

"I do so like green eggs and ham! Thank you! Thank you! Sam-I-am." Jules finished the book, closing it gently before resting it on her lap. "I hear you introduced young Miss Izzy to this classic. When you wake up I want to hear your version of events, because Sophie told me today that you helped Ed babysit a few weekends ago when I was on that negotiation training course." She picked up the photograph and studied it carefully, especially the look of joy on Sam's face as he read, "Izzy gave me that book for you to help you get rid of your boo boo. I hope it works, Sam, because there are a lot of people who need you to wake up."

~~88~~88~~88~~

Jules finished fixing the picture of Sam and Izzy into the photograph album; gently she ran her fingers over the picture. She had positioned it next to another photograph, but this time it was of Izzy and herself, taken the day of the team picnic when Holleran had made his decision that Sam and Jules could officially do whatever they liked in their down time as long as they didn't let it affect their work.

She remembered holding Izzy and gently rocking from side to side, it was an automatic response whenever she held her. As she'd rocked her, she had glanced over her shoulder and saw Sam watching her, a curious expression on his face, one she had seen many times; usually when she was with Izzy.

She turned the page and smiled as she found a picture of Izzy bundled in a snowsuit standing beside a large snowman, a huge grin on her face. "Sam, do you remember when we took Izzy to build a snowman?" She asked her silent husband, she waited for a response, after a few moments she continued, "I guess I'm going to have to remind you."

~~88~~88~~88~~

Sophie and Ed had received an emergency call from Clark's college; he'd had an accident and was in hospital. Jules had been standing next to Ed at Winnie's desk when he'd received the call. She instantly knew something had been wrong by the look of concern and worry that washed over his face. As soon as the call finished, she'd instantly offered to look after Izzy. After a few moments consideration and a quick call to Sophie, they'd agreed to let them baby-sit.

As they were leaving the building, Spike had cheerfully piped up that it would be good practice for when they were inundated with little Braddocks. Jules had shook her head and rolled her eyes good naturedly at him.

When they arrived at Sophie and Ed's, Izzy was pottering around the living room, a soft toy bunny, tucked under her arm. As soon as she saw Jules she hurried as quickly as her little legs could carry her to Jules, her arms outstretched, begging to be lifted up. "Auntie Jules, up peas?"

Jules had looked down into Izzy's face, her blue green eyes shining; a small smile on her lips. She bent down and lifted Izzy up into her arms, "Hey, Izzy." She placed a kiss on the child's cheek.

"Jules play?" Izzy asked hopefully.

"Izzy, Jules and Sam can play until bedtime. Then it's straight to sleep." Sophie instructed as she walked into the living room a warm smile on her face as she watched her daughter playing with a loose strand of Jules' hair. "Are you sure you don't mind watching her?"

"We're off rotation for the next two days. It's fine. You're on the end of the phone if we need you. I've looked after my nieces and nephews and we've looked after Izzy before." Jules reasoned, offering Sophie a reassuring smile.

"Thanks for this, a hospital waiting room is nowhere for Izzy to be and I need…" Sophie's voice cracked.

Jules stepped forward and placed her hand on Sophie's shoulder, "To be there for Clark. Sam and I will be fine. Izzy will be fine."

Sophie nodded as she held her arms out for Izzy. When Izzy was in her arms she placed a kiss on Izzy's cheek. "Be a good girl for Auntie Jules and Uncle Sam. Mommy and Daddy will be home soon."

Izzy nodded, "Bye, Mommy."

Sophie placed a kiss on Sophie's forehead before handing her back to Jules. She turned, grabbing her coat before heading towards Ed who was waiting in the hallway.

"Ready to go?" he asked.

Sophie nodded, "We'll call when we know more."

"Take care on the drive up," Sam advised from his position leaning against the living room, watching Jules and Izzy.

Ed rolled his eyes, "It's me driving here, Sam. Not Spike."

Sam smiled, "I won't tell Spike you said that. Now go, we'll be fine."

Ed shook his head, "I know Jules will be fine… But…"

"Izzy and I get along great," Sam stated a huge grin crossing his lips.

"That's what I'm afraid of. Jules can handle anything that's thrown at her at work… but Izzy and a grown kid together…"

Sam's grin got wider, "Just 'cause you found Izzy and I challenging, doesn't mean that Jules will."

Sophie tugged at Ed's arm, "We need to go," she urged.

Ed nodded, before turning to look at Jules, "Good luck."

Jules shook her head, unsure what Ed was referring too, "Just as I promised Sophie, we'll be fine."

"Bye, Mommy. Bye, Daddy," Izzy called waving her hand furiously as Jules carried her to the front door of the house, so that she could see her parents get into the car.

After a few moments, Ed pulled out of the driveway and carefully made his way down the road.

"Come on, Izzy," Jules spoke as she walked away from the front door, hearing Sam closing the door behind them. "What would you like to play?"

Izzy grinned, "Dolls."

~~88~~88~~88~~

Jules looked at Sam, his face peaceful as he rested; she reached over and pushed his hair from his forehead, "You looked really funny in the tiara Izzy insisted you wear as we were having tea with her dolls that night. But the snowman incident was even funnier. You'll make a great Dad some day." She let her fingertips rub his forehead, giving herself as much comfort as she thought she was offering him.

~~88~~88~~88~~

Izzy leaned against the window in the living room, her nose touching the glass, "It's snowing, Auntie Jules!" she hollered, her body jiggling with excitement.

Jules walked over to the window and smiled as she saw the big flakes dancing slowly to the ground. "It is, Izzy. When it stops would you like to go out and play in the snow?"

Izzy nodded furiously, "Yes peas! Build snowman?"

"Maybe, we'll have to see if it's the right snow."

"Me get my hat and scarf!" Izzy declared as she hurried past Jules and started to pull at clothes hanging in the hallway.

"What's up, Miss Izzy?" Sam asked as he walked into the hallway from the kitchen, where he'd been emptying the dishwasher.

Izzy turned to Sam, a huge grin lighting up her face, "It's snowing! Aunt Jules said we build snowman!"

"She did, did she?" Sam looked at Jules who was standing in the living room doorway; she shrugged her shoulders at his look.

"I thought you might be an expert snowman builder," she suggested, "You told me that story of the snowman you and Natalie built of the General."

A sheepish look crossed Sam's features, "You know that didn't turn out well."

"But the General isn't here and it can't be that hard to impress a two year old."

Sam's eyebrows rose, "Are you helping to build this snowman?"

Izzy peeked out from underneath the clothes, a stripy scarf clutched in her hands, a large coat draped over her shoulders, like a large cloak. "Auntie Jules build snowman too?"

Jules glanced at the sight of the toddler peeking out from under a sea of coats, "Of course, I'll help you and Uncle Sam build a snowman. But first, Izzy, we've got to dress you up nice and warm. Snow is cold."

"State the obvious, Jules," Sam teased as he moved towards Izzy, holding his hand out for the scarf.

Jules rolled her eyes, "She's little, she probably doesn't remember the last batch of snow we had."

Izzy looked between the adults, a look of confusion on her face, "Snowman," she reminded.

"Okay, Izzy," Jules knelt down beside the child, "Let's find your snowsuit."

~~88~~88~~88~~

Half an hour later Izzy was finally bundled up in her snowsuit. She stood in the middle of the hallway, her hands extended out to the sides, unable to lie flat against her body because of the stuffing in the suit.

"I don't think Mommy or Daddy wanted you to get cold," Sam stated a tone of awe in his voice as he studied the little bundle.

"Me hot!" Izzy replied, her cheeks turning a rosy shade of red.

"You won't be when we get outside," Sam replied as he grabbed his coat from the hook and quickly put it on.

"Outside!" Izzy called, her hands waving in the air.

"Yes. Let's go!" Sam replied, scooping the child into his arms as he followed Jules into the backyard.

~~88~~88~~88~~

Jules couldn't help but laugh at the expression on Sam's face as he rolled the large ball of snow around the yard, stopping in front of them. "It's heavy," he reasoned as he looked at Jules.

"You're a big bad policeman," Jules teased, "But you find rolling a large ball of snow tiring!"

"Chasing bad guys is different to heaving snow."

"Tell that to Greg next time you can't pull the heaviest person across the room."

He stuck his tongue out as he dipped behind the snowman, quickly balling a handful of snow. "You might regret teasing me!" He called as he suddenly stood up and threw the snowball at Jules, hitting her squarely on the chest.

Izzy squealed with delight as a dusting of snow from the impact of the snowball against Jules' chest covered her.

Jules glared at Sam, "Are you starting a snowball war?"

Sam smiled, "Depends on whether you're going to continue to challenge my stamina!"

Jules shrugged her shoulders leaning down towards Izzy, using checking Izzy as a cover for making her own snowball, she brushed the loose snow from Izzy's head with one hand as she compacted snow with her other. As she stood, her back was towards Sam, the hand with the snowball in it clutched to her chest. Quickly she turned and launched the snowball at Sam. She grinned as it met her target squarely in his chest.

For a second Sam grimaced, before quickly ducking to grab more snow, "Snowball war!" he cried.

~~88~~88~~88~~

Jules sat on the snow, Izzy pulled into her lap as they watched Sam add the finishing touches to their snowman. The snowman was as tall as Sam's shoulder and had pebbles for eyes and buttons and a large carrot for his nose. They had given him a hat and scarf, which they'd found in the hallway. Izzy had said they were Ed's.

Izzy clapped her hands together with glee as Sam stood away from the snowman to admire their work. "Snowman!" she called.

"Why don't we take a picture of you with your snowman?" Jules suggested as she lifted the child to her feet.

Izzy nodded enthusiastically, "Peas!"

Sam held out his hand to help Jules to her feet, the glare on her face forced him to retract his offer. He waited patiently for her to make her own way to her feet.

"Just because I lost the snowball war on a technicality, does not mean I need help to stand," she stated as she shook the snow from her legs.

Sam shrugged innocently, "Just thought you might be tired."

Jules' glare intensified, "Ed and Sophie will be back later, which means we will be home alone tonight. If you do not want to sleep on the couch tonight, I would think very carefully about what you say next."

Sam smiled nervously, not enjoying the thought of sleeping on the couch, he held his hands up as a sign of surrender, "You get Izzy sorted and I'll take the picture."

"Deal," Jules replied as she directed Izzy to the side of the snowman.

~~88~~88~~88~~

"You were lucky that night," she whispered, "I didn't make you sleep on the couch. Although I don't think Ed was too impressed to find his hat and scarf on the snowman in the yard."

She leaned forward and pressed a kiss to his forehead, "Goodnight, Sam. Wake up soon," she pleaded as she stood, ready to head home alone to their home.

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	8. Everything can change in a moment

_Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to review, favourite and follow. I do appreciate it._

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_Chapter Seven ~ Everything can change in a moment_

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Jules crawled out of bed, sitting on the edge of the mattress, looking out of the window as the morning sunlight draped over the buildings, giving them an orange glow. She smiled as watched as the glow on the houses dissipated. Sam loved the mornings; he was an early riser, one of the traits of a military life. She often woke under his watchful gaze, his fingers trailing a slow dance through her hair. She wished that she'd had the opportunity to wake up like that, that morning, but when she'd woken, she was alone in their bed.

She sighed, it had been three weeks since the accident that had rocked her world and there hadn't been any change in his condition. Three weeks of sitting, watching, waiting and praying for a sign that he was coming back to her. She cupped her face in her hands, rubbing her palms against her cheeks, attempting to keep the tears burning at her eyes from running down her face.

Sam's doctor had sat her down the day before and explained that even though they were optimistic, they couldn't guarantee that he would wake up. He had suggested that maybe she should try to get on with her life, as sitting and waiting wasn't going to help her. She needed to focus on something else, give herself time away from the hospital for her own well being. He had even asked if she could return to work. She shook her head as she recalled the terse comment she'd given Sam's Doctor at that suggestion.

But here she was contemplating going to work instead of the hospital. The Doctor had been right on some level, waiting by Sam's bedside every day wasn't making him wake up. He probably didn't even know she was there. She knew the four walls of his room so well that she could picture the patch on the wall where the paint was a different shade, when she closed her eyes.

Her stomach churned at the thought she was abandoning him if she didn't spend the day with him. Could she forgive herself if something happened and she wasn't there when he woke up? She asked herself as she moved her hand to her stomach, rubbing gently in small circles to try and quell the uneasy feeling that had suddenly taken over.

After a few moments the feeling passed and she began to seriously consider perhaps visiting the station on the way to the hospital. It was a small step to normality, but she wouldn't be abandoning Sam.

Decision made she headed for the shower.

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"Hey, Jules!" Spike called enthusiastically from the corridor when he saw she was stood with Winnie.

She turned and smiled warmly as her friend hurried towards her, briefly hugging her, before he stood back and seemed to study her. "Hey, Spike. How's Babycakes?"

Spike's eyebrows rose as he cast a glance towards the elevators, "You heard about her little mistake?"

Jules nodded, "How's she doing?"

"She's keeping out of Holleran's way. He doesn't believe that it was a glitch in her programming."

Jules reached out and patted him on the shoulder, "I'm sure she'll be forgiven eventually. We need her on the team."

"How's Sam?" Spike asked tentatively.

Jules shrugged her shoulders, "No change."

He thought for a moment, "I guess it means that he's not getting any worse."

She huffed, "But it doesn't mean he's getting any better, either."

Before Spike had the chance to reply, the sound of the briefing room doors unsealing caused Jules to turn. She smiled as Greg and Ed appeared, they both returned her smile.

"Hey, Jules," Greg welcomed her quietly, his eyes doing the same thing Spike's had earlier, checking her over.

"Boss," she stepped into his arms and briefly took comfort in his embrace. When she stood back, it was Ed's turn to envelop her in a hug.

"Nice to see you, Jules. Izzy's thrilled with her pink outfit," he grumbled warmly.

"I know she is she helped pick it out. It was you I was more concerned about."

Ed chuckled, "I'll get over her love of pink… Eventually."

"So, why are you here?" Greg asked carefully.

Jules sighed, "Sam's doctor suggested that I should try to give myself a sense of normality. Three weeks of sitting in a hospital room can take it out of you."

Greg nodded, "So you thought you'd try dropping by?"

"If you don't mind a visitor."

Greg smiled warmly, "We never mind you visiting. You could even join us for a shift if you're feeling up to it."

Jules thought about his offer for a moment, "I'm not sure about a whole shift. But maybe I can work out with you guys and see how it goes?"

"That'll be great, Jules," Ed replied warmly.

"Maybe I'll stand a chance on the assault course," Spike exclaimed eagerly, "You've had three weeks without training!"

Jules swatted Spike's arm, "I could beat you if I'd not trained in six months!"

Spike grinned, "A guy can dream, though, can't he?"

Jules shook her head, "Just keep it that way, Spike, in your dreams! Give me ten minutes and I'll be out."

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Jules stood in front of her locker and stared at the picture taped to the inside of the door, slowly her fingertips ran across the image. It was a picture that Spike had captured of her and Sam, working out in the gym. Sam had been holding the punching bag as Jules had vented her frustrations at the way the day had worked out. The reason she'd kept the picture taped to the inside of her locker, was the way Sam was looking at her, a look that melted her heart each time she looked at it. It was the look that she woke up to in the morning. The look that he gave her at the end of an awkward situation, where he wanted to make sure she was okay.

Her stomach churned at the realisation she might never receive that look again. Her hand flew to her mouth as she tried to control the nausea that swept through her body.

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Jules left her locker room, her bag in her hands; she waved at the team as she headed towards the elevators. The workout had been good, Ed hadn't treated her with kid gloves; he'd made her work as hard as he had in any other workout. She had spent two hours pushing herself physically, being able to send her thoughts and worries about Sam to the back of her mind. For those one hundred and twenty minutes she was able to forget about those four walls that she had spent the majority of the last three weeks sitting in.

Feeling refreshed she was headed to the hospital to tell Sam about her adventures.

~~88~~88~~88~~

She watched as a lone rain drop began its slow descent down the window pane, trailing a unique pattern, collecting isolated raindrops as it passed, growing into a rivulet that danced downward. The lights from the city glinted and shone through the rain spattered window, distorting the city beyond. Blurring reality.

That's what she needed, to blur reality, because her reality in that moment was almost too painful to bear. She had spent the day since her workout beside Sam's bedside.

She glanced from her post by the window to check on the prone form laid out on the bed, she hoped to see some movement, some sign that he had awakened. But there was nothing, except the steady regular rise and fall of his chest.

Standing, sitting and waiting had become her reality since it had happened. If she could have the power to turn back time, she thought she might have changed the decision she'd made after she had been shot, when she'd put her job before them. Maybe if she had put them before her job, then, this might not have happened.

Regrets. She was full of those, but wasting time was her biggest regret. She should be an expert, realising that time should never be wasted; you never knew when the sand in the timer would run out. She had witnessed life extinguished in a second because of a choice someone made.

Slowly she walked over to the chair that had become her second home as she watched and waited for any change. She'd resigned herself to the fact that no news was good news. But she didn't know how long she could just sit there and wait.

She carefully reached forward, gently clasping his hand in hers; her thumb absently began to rub small circles on the back of it. She hoped that her touch would wake him. Just as she'd hoped every single time she'd grasped his hand since it had happened.

"Wake up," she begged quietly. "Please wake up."

Suddenly, the soothing repetitive beep that measured his heart rate became erratic. As she realised what was happening, panic began to swim through her as she rose to her feet, forcing her palm onto the alarm button above his head.

"No," she pleaded, as people hurried into the room.

This can't be happening, she thought as her fingers lost contact with his as she was forcefully ushered from his room into the stark white corridor of the hospital.

Instinctively she wrapped her arms around herself, desperately trying to regain control of her emotions. She couldn't break; he needed her, just as she needed him.

She looked at the clock on the waiting room wall, the second hand marking each moment that she was separated from Sam. She counted each movement of the minute hand, each minute that the doctors and nurses had been in Sam's room. Her hands were clenched tightly in her lap in an attempt to keep her emotions in check. Her heart was pounding in her chest.

She had been sitting in the waiting room for thirty minutes.

Thirty minutes since she'd been ushered out of his room.

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After what felt like an eternity the door to his room opened and his doctor emerged from the darkness. She couldn't determine the look that crossed his face. He stepped towards her, "Please take a seat," he requested.

She sank down into the chair, her heart pounding in her chest. She didn't think she'd ever been as terrified as she was in that moment.

"Doctor?" she whispered, her voice unable to vocalise the question she desperately wanted to ask. Was Sam still alive?

"Mrs. Braddock," he replied, leaning slightly towards her, his face not giving her a clue about what had happened to Sam. "There has been a change in Sam's status."

Jules swallowed, "Status?"

A small reassuring smile crossed the Doctor's face, "There has been a change in Sam's brain activity."

"And that means?"

"It appears that Sam's brain is showing more activity, which is a good sign. He appears to be processing more information, both auditory and sensory."

"And?" Jules still wasn't quite sure what the doctor was hinting at.

"I think he might be waking up."

Jules gulped, wringing her hands in her lap, "Are you sure?"

"As sure as you can be with head injuries. The increased brain activity is a positive sign, Mrs. Braddock."

"When will he wake up?"

He shook his head, "I can't say for sure when, but we have more hope than we did an hour ago. Just keep doing what you're doing."

"Talking to him?"

"Yes. His brain needs to know that you're waiting for him, it might just be the motivation he needs to work through his current state to consciousness."

"Can I see him?"

"The nurse will be out in a few moments and then you can go in."

"Thank you, Doctor," she replied, her heart filled with a hope she hadn't felt for days.

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Jules took a deep breath before opening the door to his room; slowly she stepped into the dimly lit room and walked over to his bed. He didn't look any different to when she'd left his room nearly two hours earlier. He was still attached to a heart monitor, but at least it now maintained the regular rhythm that had been reassuring her for the last three weeks, rather than the erratic rhythm that had caused her to think she had been losing him earlier in the evening.

"Hey, Sammy," she whispered as she leaned forward and placed a kiss to his forehead. "You gave me a scare earlier. I thought…" her voice cracked with emotion, "You were leaving me." She pulled back slightly so that she could study his face, her hand cupping his cheek, his stubble pricking the palm of her hand.

"Your Doctor says you might be waking up," she moved her hand so that her fingers could brush through his hair; it was longer than she'd ever seen it. "When you get out of here, I think you'll need a haircut. Not that I mind running my fingers through your hair, but I'm used to a lot less of it."

She placed another kiss to his forehead, before she returned to her seat. When she was comfortable in the chair, she pulled his hand into hers. "Come back to me, Sam," she pleaded before closing her eyes.

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Her thoughts were lost in the throes of a dream, when something pulled her from her dreams. Groggily she opened her eyes, for a moment she wondered where she was. Then she remembered she was in Sam's hospital room.

She wondered what had woken her from her slumber. She glanced over at Sam, her hopes rising, but he was still peacefully asleep. She shook her head; maybe it was the nurse making a noise in the corridor.

She leaned back in her chair, her hand still grasped around Sam's. She was about to close her eyes, when she felt his hand twitch in hers. For a second she thought she had imagined it. She studied his hand and waited, her heart rising with hope. When she thought she was wrong, his hand moved again, gently grasping hers. "Sam!" she said as she stood so that she could study his face. His face twitched at his name, "Sam, wake up."

She studied him intently. After a moment his eyes opened.

"Sam," she smiled as she placed a kiss on his forehead.

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	9. Chapter 8: Awake at last

_Thanks as always to everyone who has taken the time to review, favourite or follow my story. Support always helps the ideas flow! :)_

_Have a great day,_

_Sairs_

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_Chapter 8 ~ Awake at last._

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Jules looked into Sam's face, revelling in the fact that his eyes were open. "Hey," she said quietly. It was like an eternity as she waited for him to respond. She brushed her fingertips through his hair, "Sam?"

Her heart soared when he spoke, "Jules." His voice was barely a whisper as it sounded cracked.

Jules beamed as she leaned over and pressed the call button over his bed.

A few moments later a nurse walked into the room, "Is everything alright, Mrs. Braddock?" she asked.

Jules turned towards the nurse, a huge smile on her face, tears streaming down her cheeks, "He's awake!" she declared. "Sam's awake."

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Jules waited anxiously in the corridor as the doctors and nurses checked Sam over. She didn't know quite what to do with herself; she wondered whether she should pinch herself, because at that moment it felt as if she was in a waking dream.

The sound of Sam's door opening jarred her from her thoughts; she turned towards it and smiled hopefully at as Sam's doctor emerged.

"Well?" she asked anxiously.

The doctor smiled reassuringly, "It seems that Sam doesn't have any side effects from his brain injury."

"He can remember?"

"Yes. He remembers everything that happened up to the accident. He is a little disoriented, but that's to be expected after three weeks in a coma.

"Thank you, Doctor," Jules beamed as she spoke.

"He's asking for you. He's still very tired so try not to wear him out."

She nodded as her heart pounded in her chest. Sam was awake and he wanted to see her. Maybe this nightmare was about to end, she thought as she headed towards his door.

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She opened the door and stepped into his room and for the first time in three weeks she was greeted by his blue eyes and a smile on his lips.

Forgetting her self control she rushed to his side, tears flowing from her eyes with relief. Later, she thought, she'd berate herself for her show of emotion, but in that moment she didn't care, because Sam was back and he was okay.

Sam's face clouded with concern as he noticed the tears trailing down her face, "Jules?" he croaked.

"I'm fine, Sam," she relied as she leaned over him, relishing in his touch as he gently wiped away her tears with his thumb.

"I'm just relieved that you're back."

"Nowhere I'd rather be," he replied. After a moment he added, "Well except for in hospital."

She chuckled, "I can't wait to get you home. I've had enough of these four walls."

A look of concern crossed his features, "How long?" he uttered.

"Three weeks," she replied lowering her head so that she could rest her forehead against his. "Three long weeks," she whispered before placing a gentle kiss on his lips.

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She thought when he woke up she would be able to relax, but a new set of worries and concerns seemed to drape over her like an unwelcome blanket.

She sat and watched him sleep, he'd drifted off not long after she had reassured him that she would catch him up on the three weeks he'd missed. She had held his hand and ran her fingers through his hair until he'd fallen asleep.

Now she sat back, on watch, waiting to make sure that he was going to wake up again.

Eventually her eyelids became heavy and she reluctantly gave into the slumber that tugged at her.

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"Jules?" Sam's voice filtered into her mind, tugging at her consciousness.

"I'm sleepy," She mumbled, reluctant to give up on the comfort of sleep.

"Jules!" His voice was slightly louder.

Suddenly her consciousness caught up with her and she jolted awake. She sat upright in her chair and turned towards Sam's bed, "Sam?" She asked her voice laced with concern.

Sam's eyes met hers, a small smile of concern on his face. "You should go home," he uttered, "You shouldn't be sleeping in a chair."

Jules smiled at his concern, "This chair and I have become very good friends."

He lifted his head, "Just how many nights have you slept in that chair?"

Jules diverted her eyes so that she was looking at an uneven patch of paint that was on the wall just above Sam's bed. "For the first week or two, I only went home to shower and change. This last week…" she paused trying to calculate just how many times she'd actually made it home for a full night's sleep. "I slept at home for three full nights. The other two I sort of managed half a night." She shrugged her shoulders, "I needed to be here." She explained simply.

He nodded; knowing that in the same situation he would have barely left Jules' side. "But I'm awake now, you can go home."

She shook her head, "No. Tonight I need to be here. Tomorrow, maybe I'll go home."

Sam shook his head at her stubbornness; "Well…" he thought he'd try a new tack. "That chair can't be comfortable. I'm sure you'd sleep better up here with me."

Her eyes widened at his suggestion. "But your leg?" she protested

"Jules if you crawl up here." He patted to the side of the bed opposite to his broken leg. "We'll be fine. I miss you," he admitted quietly.

She searched his face with her eyes, "I missed you too." Carefully she climbed onto the edge of his bed, toeing off her shoes. Gently she curled up into his side, resting her head on his chest, his arm instantly encircling her back. She listened to the reassuring beat of his heart. "I missed this."

He tilted his head and placed a kiss on the top of her head. "Close your eyes," He requested.

"Night, Sam," She whispered, "I love you."

"I love you, too," he replied, enjoying listening to the sound of her breathing evening out.

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Jules woke up and wondered briefly where she was, after a few seconds the sound of Sam's heartbeat helped her to relax. She glanced towards the window and saw the first fingerprints of sunrise dancing over the surrounding buildings. She smiled. Sam had returned. She closed her eyes attempting to relax back into slumber, but her body had other ideas. Her stomach contorted; the familiar uneasy feeling that had been plaguing her the past few days had returned.

She inhaled deeply trying to quell the uneasiness. She hoped that her 'sniper' breathing would relieve the queasiness that was threatening to envelop her.

She felt Sam stir beneath her.

"Jules?" he asked recognising her tense form in his arms.

Cautiously she tilted her head and met his gaze.

"Jules?" he repeated, noticing the pained look on his wife's face.

She slowly shook her head, knowing that if she spoke there was a chance she could lose what little control she had on her stomach. She swallowed. Then she flinched as she realised that she was losing the battle, she quickly disentangled herself from Sam's embrace and climbed off the bed. She said a silent thanks that Sam's room had an ensuite bathroom as she dashed through the door, making it just in time to empty the contents of her stomach.

When she'd finally felt that she had regained control, she sheepishly returned to Sam who had a look of concern etched on his face.

"Sorry," she stated quietly, "Guess I had dodgy takeout last night."

"Are you sure you're okay?" he asked unsure that he believed her.

"I'm fine," she reassured him, as she returned to his bedside.

He nodded slowly, analysing her face, noticing the slight greenish hue that coloured her features. His eyebrows rose as he questioned her standard answer of fine, "Jules?"

She shook her head and smiled as reassuringly as she could. "Sam I'm fine. I've been a little off colour the past few days, but my daytime routine has altered the past few weeks. I guess I haven't been eating as well as I could and until yesterday I hadn't been anywhere near a workout." She shrugged her shoulders, "I guess I haven't looked after myself as well as I should have."

Sam held out his hand and he smiled as she grasped it, although her eyes refused to make contact with his. "I'm awake, now. You can start looking after yourself because I am not going to need to worry about you, when I'm trying to escape this hospital room."

Her eyes rose slowly so that they met his, "Guess I could start eating less takeout, although I can guarantee that you'll be begging me to sneak you in a burger."

"Maybe. But I'd rather you bring me one of your mango smoothies."

She smiled, "I can definitely do that."

The door opened and a nurse walked in, "Morning, Mrs. Braddock; Mr. Braddock. The rumours I heard about you waking up are true, then?"

"Sleeping Beauty finally woke up," Jules replied as she squeezed Sam's hand.

"He certainly kept you waiting, didn't he?" The nurse replied warmly, smiling at Jules.

"It's a good thing that I'm patient."

Sam smiled at the banter between Jules and the nurse.

"I'm just going to carry out some checks on Mr. Braddock," The nurse explained as she glanced up from Sam's chart.

"I'll go and make some calls. There are going to be some very happy people to hear that you're awake."

"Don't go too far," Sam replied as he reluctantly relinquished his grip on her hand.

Jules' smile lit up her eyes, "Don't worry I'm not going to." With that she turned and left the room.

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The nurse smiled at Sam as she checked his pulse, "You're a very lucky man. Your wife has hardly left your bedside."

Sam nodded as he spoke, "I know I am." He paused wondering if he should ask Cathy's opinion as he read her name tag. "Has Jules been okay?"

Cathy smiled, "She's one tough woman. She's certainly given the doctors a run for their money."

Sam chuckled.

"The past few days, though. She's been quieter. I think the possibility of a reality of a life where you didn't wake up was beginning to settle in her mind. The doctor sat her down a couple of days ago and suggested that she return to work."

Sam nodded as Jules' earlier comment about her workout made sense.

"But she seems on top of the world today and that's because of you." Cathy replied as she finished writing on his chart. She smiled, "That's you all done. Someone will be bringing you breakfast shortly. It will be something plain for your first meal as it's been a long time since you've eaten food."

As if on cue Sam's stomach grumbled.

Cathy laughed, "Sounds like you're ready for food."

"Even hospital food," Sam replied jovially.

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Jules sat in the waiting room and finished her final call. Everyone had been elated when she shared the news that Sam was awake. His mother had burst into tears and Natalie had screamed down the phone, causing Jules to hold it away from her ear.

Their team mates had promised they would stop by after their shift.

As she sat there a young man sat next to her a steaming cup of coffee in his hands. Jules thought nothing of it until its aroma assaulted her nose. As her brain registered the scent her stomach revolted and she was forced to dash to the nearest washroom.

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Jules splashed cold water on her face. Even though she'd assured Sam there was nothing wrong. Concern started to nag at her mind, but however hard she thought she couldn't find a reason for the sickness that suddenly seemed to be plaguing her. Other than the takeout she'd eaten last night, or whether Izzy had shared an unpleasant germ when she'd visited with her a couple of days earlier.

However, Sam had only just woken up and she didn't need him worrying about her.

Satisfied that she looked much better than she had a few minutes earlier, she dried her hands and walked out of the washroom.

She walked briskly to Sam's room and strode through his door, smiling as she perched on the edge of his bed. "Pass your checks?"

Sam smiled, "Yep, although I'll be glad when they let me out of here. But Cathy tells me it's gonna be a while."

Jules rolled her eyes and grinned, "Guess I'm going to see more of these four walls then?"

"Well you might have to if you want to visit me."

"I guess I could get past the same four walls for you," she replied as she drew an invisible pattern on his bed sheets with her finger.

He studied her intently, she was trying to reassure him, but he could read her just like she could read him. Something appeared to be off with her. Maybe it was the worry of the last three weeks taking its toll on her. He knew that if he pushed her, she would retreat and refuse to tell him anything. She would tell him when she was ready. He reached out with his hand and gently tugged her towards him. She lifted her head at the movement studying his face.

"What?" she asked.

Carefully he pulled her into his arms. "Just making up for lost time," He replied as he placed a kiss on the top of her head.

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	10. Chapter 9: Surprises

_Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to review, favourite and follow. It means a lot and encourages me to write._

_Have a great day where ever you are._

_Sairs_

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Chapter 9 ~ Surprises

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Jules couldn't help but yawn as she lowered herself into the chair next to Sam's bed. The last few hours had been manic; their friends from Team One had visited, needing to see that Sam was finally awake. She'd spent the evening moving from Sam's room to the corridor, so that everyone had time with him as the number of visitors he was allowed at any one time was still limited. She'd enjoyed their company, but they'd also asked lots of questions about when Sam was coming home and when she would be returning to the team. They had tired her out almost as much as she knew they'd tired out Sam with their concern.

"Go home," Sam said quietly from his bed as he watched her stifle another yawn.

She tilted her head to one side and looked at him with determination, "I'm fine."

He slowly shook his head, "I know you're fine, but this morning you said that you would go home tonight. Sleep at home, in our bed."

She fidgeted slightly in the chair under his intense scrutiny. A part of her was desperate to crawl under the duvet in their bed and relinquish to the sleep that she knew she needed, but the other part was worried that if she left him, he wouldn't be awake when she returned. It was that thought that had her attempting to make herself comfortable in the chair.

He recognised the look of determination on her face and realised she was planning to stay. "Jules," his voice was stern; he wanted to smile when he met her eyes with a look of pure determination. "I am fine. I'm going to be awake tomorrow when you come to visit me. I need you to go home and sleep."

"But…" she started to protest, but stopped when Sam levelled her a look that meant she might not like what he had to say but he wasn't going to back down. At times he could be just as stubborn as her. She sank back into the chair, knowing that she was going to acquiesce, "Okay."

He smiled as she agreed, "Good. Go home. Sleep. It won't be long before I come home."

She nodded and slowly rose from the chair stepping towards the bed so that she could grasp his hand. "I'll go home. But I might not sleep very well," she pouted, "As my hot water bottle is not going to be there to keep me warm."

He smiled, "I'm pleased to know that you love me just to keep you warm at night."

She shook her head, "That's not the only thing I keep you around for," she teased lightly, enjoying their banter, she'd really missed it the past few weeks.

He brushed his thumb over the back of her hand as her eyes met his gaze, "Jules?"

"Hmm?" she replied.

"Could you bring me a mango smoothie tomorrow?" A grin crossed his lips as he finished his request.

She leaned forward using her free hand to brush through his hair, "I think that can be arranged. Are you sure you don't want me to stay?"

He nodded, "Jules. You've spent the last three weeks worried about me. It's time for me to look after you. I want you to go home and rest. You admitted yourself that you haven't taken the best care of yourself because of me and I won't let it go on. Go home."

She brushed her lips across his briefly before pulling back looking deeply into his eyes, "Okay, I'm going."

His hand slightly tightened on hers before he relinquished his grip, "I love you."

She smiled, "Love you too. Now sleep."

"Yes, Ma'am," he teased as she grabbed her coat from the chair and walked to the door.

"Night, Sam."

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Jules walked into the Grocery store, plucking a shopping basket from a stack she began to look for the fresh fruit aisle. After a few minutes she'd selected the ingredients she needed for Sam's mango smoothie.

She continued to explore the store, enjoying the change of scenery and realised that she hadn't really shopped for any groceries since before the day of the accident.

After a while, she found herself in the medical aisle, she thought of her queasiness that morning and began looking at remedies that might help settle her stomach. She picked a bottle of Pepto Bismol and put it in her basket, hoping that she would not need it in the morning. She continued down the aisle she stopped as she noticed a shelf of boxes. Her mind whirred, was it possible? She tried to recall the past few weeks, but nothing other than Sam's accident had filled her mind.

She took a box and put it in her basket. She was about to move on when she thought about the possibility that one might not be accurate. Thinking that three would be a better option she took two more packages and made her way to the cashier.

~~88~~88~~88~~

She had hardly remembered the journey home, having almost driven on autopilot. She carried the shopping bags from the car and into the house, dropping them onto the kitchen counter. She turned to the calendar they kept on the fridge and analysed the past few weeks. She shook her head as she tried to remember, but the more she thought about it the more the thought she was trying to grasp did not appear.

Maybe relaxing would help. She quickly unpacked the shopping bags before heading up to the bathroom, three small boxes in her hands.

~~88~~88~~88~~

Slowly she sank to the floor, her back resting against the bath, a white plastic stick clasped in her hand. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. She was looking at two pink lines. Two pink lines that would change her life, their lives.

Her mind was whirring. They had been so careful. Yes, they both wanted a family, but it hadn't been in the plan for this year, for now. She laid the stick next to its two counterparts on the floor both of them had the same result as the one she'd been holding. It was conclusive. She, Julianna Braddock was pregnant.

The result explained everything she'd been denying the past few days, the nausea and tiredness that had seemed to sweep over her. Her sudden dislike of strong smells. She'd been attributing them all to a bug that she'd either picked up at the hospital or from Izzy. She lowered her hand to her belly she'd picked up something, but it wasn't a bug, it was a baby. She swallowed; she and Sam were going to be parents.

She smiled as an image of Sam rocking their child in his arms filtered into her mind. She hoped he would be happy. She sighed; his protective streak was going to go into overdrive. She wished that he were with her; he would have been so excited at seeing the results. If she had really thought it had been a definite possibility she would have waited until the morning and carried out the test at the hospital. But she hadn't really considered the option that she could be pregnant until those first two pink lines had appeared.

Once again, her world had turned upside down in a moment.

~~88~~88~~88~~

She walked down the corridor towards Sam's room, a container of mango smoothie in one hand and a small gift bag in the other. She had spent the majority of the night wondering how she was going to break the news to Sam. At four o'clock, that morning an idea had popped into her mind and she had managed to carry out her idea on the way to the hospital.

She paused at his door bracing herself before she entered. Inhaling deeply she pushed the door and walked into his room a smile crossing her lips as she saw him sitting in bed his eyes meeting hers.

"Morning," he welcomed her warmly, shifting slightly in bed as she approached. "Is that a mango smoothie?" He asked hopefully.

She nodded, handing him the container, "Made fresh this morning."

He took the container and studied her, if anything she looked even more tired than she had the day before, maybe sending her home had been the wrong decision. "Jules," he started his voice laced with concern, "Are you okay?"

She tilted her head to one side, "I am now. Drink your smoothie." He took the lid off the container and took a sip, grinning as the delicious liquid slithered down his throat. When he'd finished his first sip he replied, "That was delicious."

"I'm pleased you enjoyed," she replied as she pulled the chair towards his bed before sitting.

When he'd finished his drink he noticed the small gift bag she had placed on the floor beside the chair. "You brought me a gift?" he asked, curiosity getting the better of him.

She smiled, "Maybe." She lifted the gift bag from the floor, handed it over to him, and began to fidget nervously as she waited for him to open it. Her stomach churned and her heart pounded in her chest.

Sam opened the bag, not sure what he was expecting to find, but he certainly wasn't expecting to find a small item of clothing inside. Carefully he pulled out a cream onesie and held it up reading the small caption on it; his mouth fell open as his mind whirred trying to process the information. He turned to Jules, "Are…"

She smiled nervously and nodded, "Three tests are pretty conclusive. We're going to have a baby."

Sam grinned, dropping the onesie onto the bed, "A baby?"

Jules nodded, "A baby, Sam."

"How? When?" he stopped as Jules rolled her eyes, "Well I know how, but when?"

Jules shrugged her shoulders, "I lost track of time when you had your accident, but I've thought about it a lot since I did the tests last night. I think I must be about eight weeks."

"Eight weeks…" Sam's grin widened, "Wasn't that about the time we had that little impromptu camping trip?"

Jules nodded, "The weather was so bad we didn't venture far from the tent for two days."

"But we found plenty of other ways to keep ourselves entertained," He grinned.

"And it looks like we brought more than a wet tent home as a souvenir."

Sam studied her face; she had a small smile on her lips. "Are you okay with this?" he asked cautiously, knowing that a baby wasn't on their plan yet.

Her smile brightened, lighting her eyes, "I'm more than okay with this. I realised whilst you were in your coma that when you woke up I wanted to make the most of our lives together and our baby is a gift that we weren't planning on just yet. I really want this baby. I want us to be a family."

Sam grinned leaning forward to grasp her hand, gently tugging her towards him, "I'm the luckiest man alive."

~~88~~88~~88~~


End file.
